The Donor
by NineAnd3Quarters
Summary: Christian & Ana have been best friends since they were Freshman. They've supported each other through thick & thin and now, Ana's faced with a difficult decision. She's a career woman looking to settle down. The only problem is, she hasn't found anyone to settle down with. What happens when she's given the news that her clock might be ticking faster than she had originally thought?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm testing out a new story to see if it's really worth continuing. I kept going back and forth about posting it, but my friend, Amy McGrath has convinced me to run with it. So, I'm going to try it out and post the first chapter. This is different from the Ana I have written myself in the past. She isn't going to be submissive to Christian. They're equals and friends. I wanted to post a story that shows what couples with infertility issues have to go through. I really hope to bring light to the idea of IVF to those of you who don't know much about it, as well as educate others on really how much time, energy, money, and emotion go into trying to conceive through medical means.**

 **There is no BDSM or abuse from Elena in this story, although she'll always remain creepy in my book.**

"That's it! I give up!" Anastasia comes storming into Christian's office at Grey House and throws herself onto his couch.

Amused, Christian closes his laptop and watches her throw her small fit from his seat at his desk.

"Another bad date?"

She huffs. "You don't even know the half of it! I swear every new man I date just gets worse than the last one."

He buzzes Andrea.

"Yes, Mr. Grey?"

"Bring Ms. Steele some hot water and one of her tea bags."

"Yes, Mr. Grey. Anything else?"

Eyeing Anastasia, who is sulking on the couch, he adds, "Better bring a muffin, too. Make it a chocolate one."

Christian makes his way over to Anastasia and has a seat on one of the chairs across from the couch. "What happened this time?"

Feeling pitiful, Anastasia throws her arm over her eyes dramatically. "You don't even want to know."

Christian rolls his eyes. "Ana...is this really necessary?" He sits on the edge of the couch next to her and pulls her arm off of her face. "You are twenty-six years old. Isn't this fit throwing a little immature for you?"

She sticks her lip out. "Can't you just be an enabler for one day? Let me whine and drown my sorrows for once?"

He shakes his head. "Nope. I'm too busy. I have a company to run."

She sighs. "You know...I really need some girl friends."

He cocks his head to the side. "A girl friend... now that's something to think about...I'd love to witness that." He wiggles his eyebrows and she smacks his arm.

"You pervert! You're disgusting." She tries to keep a straight face, but she can't help, but crack a smile.

"Maybe...but I got you to smile, didn't I?"

There's a knock on the door and Andrea enters with a tray, containing Ana's tea and chocolate muffin.

"Thank you Andrea." Anastasia gives her a smile and she pushes herself up into a sitting position.

"You're welcome, Ms. Steele."

Anastasia bends over the coffee table to dunk her teabag into her hot water and pulls it out quickly.

"I don't even know why you bother." Christian states, shaking his head. "Waste of money, if you ask me."

"Luckily, no one asked you." Anastasia smarts back, picking up her tea. If he wasn't wearing such an expensive suit, she would have chucked the tea bag at him. She still had a mind to if he kept smarting her.

"Andrea brought you a muffin." He pushes the small saucer closer to her, hoping to get her to eat. One of his biggest pet peeves were people that didn't eat as much as they should and, unfortunately, his best friend, Ana, just happened to make it a habit.

Anastasia eyes it, but her stomach feels too upset to eat at the moment. She knows that most girls drown their sorrows in junk food and ice cream after a terrible date, but Anastasia has never been one to eat her feelings. Her ability to live on eating very little and being so slim throughout high school is what made many of the other girls hate her. That, and being best friends with the mysterious Christian Grey. Every girl dreamed of getting to know the handsome, quiet Christian, but none were able to catch his eye. He kept to himself, a few select mates, and Anastasia. Anastasia went throughout high school with little or no girl friends, deciding to stick close to Christian and focus on her studies.

"Why don't you eat it?" She pushes the saucer back towards him and he growls out in frustration.

"I swear, one of these days, I'm just going to take you over my knee when you refuse food."

"Kinky." She teases, giving him a wink.

"I'm serious, Ana. It drives me crazy. You need to eat more."

"I eat fine, Christian. You can't expect me to eat like a grown man who works out six days a week. You definitely won't be seeing me exercise any time soon." She wrinkles her nose. Physical activities are definitely not her thing. She is probably the most uncoordinated person on the planet and she has managed to hurt herself no matter the activity choice.

Sighing, he gives up for now. "Ana...I know you wouldn't come all the way up to my office after a bad date unless you wanted to talk about it, but until now, you've managed to avoid the subject. Tell me what happened." He unbuttons his cuffs and rolls his dress shirt up to his forearms, getting comfortable. He relaxes back against the couch, his arms splayed out on the back of the couch, his left ankle resting on his left thigh. "I'm all ears."

Anastasia slips her flats off her feet and pull them up to her chest, hugging them. She rests her chin on her knees and bites her lip.

"Where do I even start?"

Christian's eyebrows knit together. "Well, how about the beginning?"

She reaches over and grabs her tea cup, resting it on her knees while she warms her hands with it. "Why does your office have to be so cold all the time? You know, I should really keep a jumper in your closet."

"Stop avoiding the subject, Ana."

"I'm just...I don't know. I'm starting to wonder what is wrong with me. I'm twenty-six years old, have a great job as an editor, own my own apartment...all that's missing is love. I want to fall in love and have someone fall in love with me. I want someone to be crazy about me and I want to get married and have children. I'm not getting any younger, after all. My clock is ticking. I've dated guy after guy, but it never goes anywhere. It's like...they get worse with each guy I date. They're either rude, have terrible hygiene, don't call back, or are spineless. Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I'm not meant to have anyone. I'll just adopt a dozen cats and live in my apartment all by myself until I die."

Again, he rolls his eyes. "Must you be so dramatic? Your expectations aren't too high. They're assholes who don't deserve you if they don't call you back. You aren't going to be alone. You have me. I'll always be here. And about the cat thing...please don't."

She laughs. "Why is my dating life such a mess then?"

He shrugs. "Maybe it's my fault."

Her eyebrow raises. "Your fault?"

He nods. "When your best friend is perfection, how can any other man meet your expectations when you're comparing them to Christian Trevelyan Grey?" He reaches for the muffin and pulls off a small piece for himself, popping it into his mouth.

"You are one cocky little bastard, aren't you?" Anastasia states, laughing.

He grins at her and hands her a small piece of muffin, which she takes and pops into mouth.

"Maybe your dating problem is your dirty mouth." He pops another piece of muffin in his mouth and hands her one. He watches her place it in her mouth and a sense of satisfaction runs through his body. He might have to distract her to get her to eat, but he's willing to do whatever works.

She sighs. "Maybe. Why else would I attract nothing, but losers."

"What did the guy do today? Wait...isn't he one of Elliot's friends? Isn't his name Connor?"

Anastasia cocks her eyebrow at him and nods. "You know, I am really starting to think Elliot hates me."

Christian laughs. "No, he's just terrible at playing matchmaker."

This time, she leans forward and pinches of her own piece of muffin to eat. Christian is surprised that she hasn't caught on to his little food trick, yet. He's used this distraction technique for ten years, but she's never once called him out on it.

"Well, he needs to learn to pick better friends."

Christian couldn't deny that. Elliot is quite the partier, and unfortunately, that life style comes with friends who aren't the most eloquent.

"What did this friend do?" Christian asks again, annoyed that she is avoiding the subject.

It is obvious that Christian isn't going to give up until he has some details, so she gives in. "His so called _friend_ tried to feel me up our whole brunch date. Let me tell you something...I will _never_ wear a dress again on a blind date."

The hair on the back of Christian's neck stands on end. His anger starts inside his chest and crackles out to each of his limbs. "He what?"

"He spent the whole time trying to slide his hand up under my dress. Don't get all huffy, Christian. I put him in his place."

"I'll kill the fucker..." Christian's anger is something that Anastasia is used to, and this anger is the exact reason why she really didn't want to tell him _why_ the date had been so terrible. "I'll kill Elliot for even suggesting you two would be good together..."

Seeing that Christian is visibly upset, Anastasia slides closer to him and places her hand over his hand, trying to get him to relax his balled fist.

"Everything is fine, Christian. It's over. Just stow your anger for now. I came up here so you'd make me feel better. Now, do your job, best friend."

He cocks an eyebrow at her and she smiles. "Come on, now. Chop chop!"

He gives her a scowl, but can't help, but crack a smile. "Fine. Get your infuriating little ass over here." He opens his arms for her and she bounces her way over to him and snuggles into his hug, squeezing him tight around the waist. His arms close around her and he hugs her close, enjoying the warmth of her small body in his.

"Are you better, yet?" He asks, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

He always pretends to hate their embraces, but in reality, he savors them. Christian has touch issues that have been deeply ingrained in him since as long as he can remember. The only exception to this is Anastasia. They met on the first day of high school, when she had set behind him in History. She hadn't been aware of his touch issues, then. The tag on his uniform sweater had been sticking out and she took it upon herself to stick it back into his shirt, the tips of her fingers grazing the skin on his upper back. He immediately felt goosebumps at the feel of another person's skin on his, and he was pleasantly surprised that there had been no trace of panic during the following few seconds, giving him the confidence to turn around to start speaking to her.

"Almost." She squeezes him impossibly tighter and then releases him with a sigh. "Alright, I better go back to work. My hour lunch ended about forty-five minutes ago."

He chuckles. "It's a good thing you get paid salary."

"Oh, yea. It's a good thing. That way, when I work at home on Saturdays, I know I won't be making anymore money!" She gives him a cheeky grin and stands, grabbing her handbag.

"Dinner, tonight?" He asks, walking her to his door.

"Finally...a date I can look forward to." She leans up and kisses his cheek. "Six o'clock?"

He nods. "I'll pick you up."

Christian opens his office door for Anastasia and leans against it while she makes her way toward the elevator doors. His best friend sure had a way with sarcasm, but somehow, her smart mouth complimented his serious personality quite nicely. She had a way of bringing Christian out of his shell. Making his day and his mood brighter...even when she came to pout.

Turning back towards his office, he makes his way to his phone, calling his brother. _Elliot is going to get an earful._


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I want to go over a few things first before continuing this story. A lot of you have messaged me with questions and I hope that by answering them here, it will clear up some confusion.**

 **1\. All of my stories will always be HEA and No Cheating**

 **2\. I understand that this infertility issue can be a sensitive subject with many of you. My husband and I are also affected by this issue and I have had miscarriages in the past because of it. I promise to all of you that there will be NO miscarriage in this fanfiction. I just don't have the heart to write it.**

 **3\. I have started a Pinterest board for this fic. My name is NineN3Quarters and I've labeled the board 'The Donor'.**

 **4\. I have been asked to give teasers for the people who don't get to see them on Facebook. I'm going to allow anyone who wants a teaser to mention it in their review and I will PM it to you. To get the teaser via FanFiction, you have to be a member and be able to receive PM's. If not, then you'll have to be a part of one of the FSoG fanfiction facebook sites to view the teaser.**

 **That being said, I also want to note that I am not offering this feature with any of my other fanfictions. I just don't have time to send a separate PM to each person for each fanfiction. I do, however, post teasers on the Facebook groups _'FSOG Fanfic Followers'_ and _'_** ** _For The Love of Fifty Shades, Fanfic & Jamie Dornan'._ If you're on Facebook and love FS fanfiction or Jamie Dornan, I highly recommend both of these groups.**

 **If any of you still have questions, please feel free to PM me or ask in your review.**

Christian pulls up to his parents house for their weekly Sunday dinner. He usually looks forward to his mother's cooking and the banter back and forth with his father and brother about who is going to the play-offs, but tonight is a little different. Mia's birthday was Friday and tonight, they are having a special birthday dinner just for her and fifteen of her closest friends.

 _Mia has officially turned twenty-one._

He curses under his breath. He's already been warned that Mia has made an appearance at his club, _The Mile High Club_. She had created such a scene that the bouncer had to detain her. She was so inebriated that he had to carry her down to the car, her kicking and screaming the whole way down the elevator. If she wasn't his sister, the girl would have been banned from the building altogether, but being the owner has its perks. He knows that he needs to have a talk with Mia and draw a line that she mustn't cross. He'll ban her himself if she ends up making a scene again.

As he sits in his car in the driveway, another car pulls up and he sees a blonde with green eyes, short skirt, and high-end heels climb out of a Mercedes. Two more girls climb out of the car, as well, and he sees that one of them is Mia's friend, Emily.

"Fuck." He hisses under his breath, dreading the night even more. Emily is Mia's most handsy friend. She has no idea what a boundary is. He has told her on multiple occasions not to touch him, but every fucking time, she just giggles and dismisses his warning with a wave of her hand.

Although Mia's friends are more than annoying, always giggling at him and ogling him unabashedly, he knows there is no way he can get out of this thing. Luckily, Anastasia has promised to come. Her appearance will make everything go easier tonight. He can concentrate on her and maybe even make some of the other girls think he is taken.

He wants to stay in his car and wait for Anastasia to show up, but unfortunately, his mother has spotted him. She stands in the front entryway, smiling and waving at him to come in.

"Damn it. Here we go." He mumbles, giving his mother a fake smile and a wave before turning his car off and grabbing Mia's present from the passenger's side.

XxXxXx

Anastasia is at home, hurrying to get dressed. She knows there's no possible way she will be on time and a feeling of guilt twists in her gut. She knows how important being punctual is to Grace and she hates that she had to pick today to be late, although it isn't entirely her fault.

She didn't know that she would start her period early. She wasn't aware that she was completely out of tampons. She knew she was getting close and so she had put it on her grocery list for that week, but then left without the grocery list that day.

How is it her fault that she was cursed with terrible organizational skills and an even more terrible memory? _Genetics._ That's what's to blame. She got these problems from her mother. So, as far as she's concerned, it's her mother's fault. _Carla May Wilks._

Okay, _fine_...maybe it is her own fault.

She sighs. She knows she has some apologizing to do. She hopes that the bottle of wine she's bringing will help soften Grace a bit. Luckily, Grace Trevelyan Grey just happens to adore Anastasia.

After throwing on her maroon, sleeveless skater dress and slipping on her black Jimmy Choo heels that Christian had bought her for Christmas, she checks herself in the mirror. Seeing that her hair has deflated, she bends and flips her hair over, spraying the back with finishing spray to give it some volume.

"There." She smiles at her reflection, happy with the results, considering she didn't have much time. She splashes on her perfume and hurries to the door, grabbing her keys and handbag on the way out.

XxXxXx

"Happy birthday, baby sister." Christian greets Mia as soon as he steps into the foyer. He hands her the present and bends down to press a kiss to her cheek. "You and I are going to have a little chat later." He whispers quietly in her ear so that their mother cannot hear.

Her eyes widen and she looks up at him. "I just want to say in advance that I am sorry for whatever it is that I've done."

He chuckles. "Yea...that's not going to get you out of anything, Mia-girl."

Mia gives him a small pout.

"Nope. Neither will that." He puts his hand out and covers up her mouth. He has always had a weakness for his little sister's pout, but he refuses to let her use it on him this time. This little talk is going to be for her own good. Drinking in heavy quantities can be absolutely catastrophic to not only her, but the people around her. She could end up killing herself or someone else.

She sighs. "Fine. But, it'll have to wait til after my party."

"Deal." Christian offers his hand to Mia and she shakes it.

"Where's Ana?" Mia asks, realizing she hasn't seen her brother's best friend, yet.

He sighs. "I have no idea." He knows that she has terrible time management skills. He has never met anyone that has such a problem organizing their time like Anastasia does.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be here soon. Why don't you come in and get yourself a drink, darling? Mia, don't be rude. Go socialize with your guests." Grace hooks her hand in the crook of Christian's arm and ushers him to the bar in the dining room. "I know that spending the evening with fifteen twenty-one year olds is not your idea of fun, but I appreciate you coming for Mia. She adores you so much, Christian."

Christian smiles as he pours himself a bourbon. "I know she does, Mom. And I adore her, too. I'm sure I can make it through one night with a dozen giggling college girls."

"Make that a dozen _hot_ giggling college girls...who will all be drinking tonight…" Elliot corrects Christian, stepping up to make his own drink, a Jack and Coke.

"Elliot Trevelyan Grey! You will _not_ be touching any of these girls, do you understand me?" Grace's tone is clipped and serious.

Elliot sighs. "Yes, ma'am."

She eyes him for a second and it causes the 6'4 man to look down at his shoes to avoid eye contact. No matter how tall or how old he gets, out of respect, he will always listen to his mother. Plus, sometimes, she can be downright scary. On more than one occasion, she has had all three of her grown children cowering in front of her from just one look. Of course, she'd never hurt her children and has never laid a hand on them, but disappointing their mother is something the three of them avoid at all costs.

XxXxXx

As Anastasia sits at a stoplight, her phone pings in her car. Looking down at her phone, she sees that it's a text from Christian.

 _*Where are you, woman?!*_

She can't help the smirk that forms on her lips. She can only imagine how uncomfortable he must be with all of Mia's friends around. She can't help, but take a little joy in her best friend's misery at the moment.

 _*Keep your hair on, Grey. On my way.*_

She's only five minutes from the Greys. It won't kill him to ward off the college girls a little longer.

She giggles at the thought. The only straight man in history that isn't ecstatic about having a dozen college girls throwing themselves at his feet. He's always been picky on the women he picks, most of them not lasting more than a few weeks. He likes to get his rocks off with women of his choosing, but then has a problem committing.

Anastasia wonders if it is from his haphephobia, his mommy issues, or if he just has an issue with commitment like many other men do. She hasn't met many of the woman he has bedded, but the ones she has met didn't seem to care much about Christian, either. Unfortunately, she's found that most women can't see past his beauty, and are happy just to fall into bed with the sexy billionaire a few times.

 _Her poor Christian._

She hopes that Christian will find a good woman that is worth keeping.

When she really thinks about it though, a pang of jealousy runs through her chest. A part of her wants to keep her best friend to herself. She doesn't want to share him with anyone else. She knows it's selfish. She knows that it'll happen someday and she'll be happy for him, although inside she will be having a little pity party for herself.

Perhaps that's just another reason why she wants to find a man to settle down with. She has a desire to be a wife and a mother. To have that security of having her own family. But maybe another part of her wants to make sure she's settled when her best friend finds a mate. She hopes that by living her own life, that Christian settling down himself won't be as painful.

As she pulls up the driveway and parks behind Christian's Audi, she sighs. As much as she wants to pretend that they're still young and have plenty of time to settle down, they really don't. They're both twenty-six and adults. She wants to think that it's time for her to settle down and make a family, but she knows that if it really is time, that God would have pointed her in the right direction. It wouldn't be so hard for her to find a man even worthy of going on a second date with. _Maybe she really isn't meant to have a family._

She grabs her handbag from the passenger's seat and tells herself that now is not the time to be throwing a pity party for herself. She has a good life and she's blessed. She has a great career, a beautiful apartment, healthy parents, and the best friend a girl could ask for. She reaches for the passenger's seat a second time, but it's empty.

"Oh, fucking hell!" _She's forgotten the wine._ "Every damn time!"

Pouting, she makes her way pitifully into the house and through the foyer. The sound of voices and giggling immediately hits her ears and she follows the sound to the dining room. Once in the doorway, she finds the room full of young women in short, tight dresses, sky high heels, and perfume so strong that it almost knocks her off her feet. She feels like she just walked in to some cheap nightclub down the street from the university.

Looking around the room, she finds Christian sitting in one of the dining room chairs, a half a dozen girls sitting around him, giggling and batting their eyelashes at him. His back is turned towards Anastasia, but she has no doubt that he is currently holding a glass of bourbon, half-empty, while he swirls the brown liquid around in the glass in front of him, doing his best to ignore the girls.

 _Alright, Anastasia. Time to show these girls who's boss._

Making her way up behind Christian, she snakes her arms around his neck and runs her hands down the front of his button down.

"Hi." She whispers quietly, making him jump. Once he realizes who it is, a smile forms on his face.

"Hey." He cranes his neck to look at his best friend and she gives him a small wink, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

She rests her chin on his shoulder and looks around the table, seeing that she's getting scowls from the young women.

"Are these ladies giving you a hard time, baby?" A lopsided smirk forms on his face. _He knows what's coming._

"Do we have a problem here, ladies?" Anastasia asks, quirking her eyebrow at the young women. When none of them speak or even move, Anastasia stands up straight, keeping her hands on Christian's shoulders. She makes eye contact with each girl, and without even uttering a word, the girls end up shying away and eventually getting up to rejoin the party.

There's something about Anastasia that girls find intimidating. Christian has witnessed this himself. Whether it is her beauty, strong personality, or the air of confidence about her, he isn't sure. He just knows that women tend to stay away from his best friend. Sometimes, she runs them off. Other times, they don't even have the courage to approach her.

Christian manages to hold in his laughter just long enough for the girls to scurry off.

"Thanks, Ana. I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

Giggling, she slips between the table and his chair and deposits herself into his lap, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "If I can't be a stand-in girlfriend when you get yourself in tight places, then what am I good for?" She takes the bourbon out of his hand and downs half of what's left in the glass.

He smiles. "Well, it's definitely not the sex."

She snorts, almost spitting the bourbon back at him. "If you think for one minute I'm going to be just another notch on your bedpost, then you've got another thing coming, Grey. This body is sacred. I'm not about to let you ruin it."

He grabs the bourbon back from her and wiggles his eyebrows. "At least you realize I'd ruin you for other men. You'd be begging me for more."

She rolls her eyes. "So cocky."

He gives her a salacious grin and leans in to her ear. "And I've got the cock to back it up, too, love."

"Christian!" She slaps at his shoulder. "How many of those have you had?"

His head falls back with a laugh. "A fair few."

"Well, then I need to catch up, then, don't I?" She climbs out of his lap to get herself a drink and he slaps her backside.

"Get me one, too."

She looks over her shoulder. "By the way your acting, I'd say you've had enough. I'll bring you water."

 _What? NO!_

He pouts and looks down at his drink. _One good sip left._ He downs it and then shakes the glass a little, trying to get every drop he can into his mouth since his best friend has cut him off.

Anastasia makes her way over to the bar and sees Grace pouring herself a glass of wine.

She pulls Grace into a hug. "It's so good to see you. I'm sorry I'm late. I had a little emergency at home before coming."

Grace's eyebrows knit together in worry. "Oh, I hope everything is okay, Ana."

Anastasia smiles. "It's fine. Just girl stuff."

Grace nods, understanding. "Yes, we are so very lucky, aren't we? It's like a little gift from Heaven every month."

Anastasia giggles at her words. "You could say that." She pours herself a whiskey and cranberry on the rocks, grabbing a bottle of water out of the mini fridge for Christian.

"I'm glad you came when you did. I don't know how much longer Christian could have dealt with all these girls by himself. You know patience isn't his strong suit." Grace gives Anastasia a wink, making her laugh.

"Yes, it's good I came to his rescue. I guess you could say I'm his knight in shining armor!"

"Excuse me?" Christian comes from behind her, startling Anastasia.

She turns towards him and cocks an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to tell me it isn't true?"

He shrugs. "You could have at least pretended to be modest about it."

Anastasia snorts into her drink. "I wasn't aware that modesty was even in your vocabulary, Christian."

Christian's hand lands on his chest, feigning hurt. "Ouch! That's a shot to the ego. I think I'm going to need another drink."

Anastasia eyes him for a second. "Only if you promise to keep your hands off my ass."

He gives her a cheeky, Cheshire grin. "Now, my dear, that is something I will never be able to promise."

As Grace watches her son and his best friend bicker and flirt back and forth, she can't help, but feel frustrated with them both. Whenever they're together, the chemistry between the two of them is so strong, that it affects the people around them. Others can feel the electric current running through the space around them, and yet, Christian and Anastasia are completely unaware of the connection. As far as she knows, the two of them have never went further than a few flirty comments and relatively innocent touches.

Grace has considered trying to play matchmaker and push them together, but she feels that it's best if they figure it out in their own time...if they figure it out at all. She doesn't want their friendship to be affected because of her meddling, but she also knows that it's no coincidence that Christian doesn't shy away from Anastasia's touch or that Anastasia can't seem to find a man to last more than a couple months. In her mind, there isn't anyone better for either one of them. If there were such a thing as soul mates, those two would be it.

XxXxXx

As Mia blows out the candles to her birthday cake, Christian can't help, but notice his brother making a move on a blonde in the corner. It happens to be the same blonde that he watched get out of the Mercedes earlier. He has an arm around her shoulders, whispering something in her ear to make her giggle. Christian watches Elliot give her _the look_ and he knows that the girl is as good as gone. He's sure that Elliot is already picturing her tight little dress on the floor in his bedroom.

Christian snorts and shakes his head at his brother, the charmer. He happens to catch Elliot's eye and raises his eyebrow at his brother. Elliot gives him a wink and a wiggle of his eyebrows, letting Christian know that he, indeed, has the girl in the bag.

"You two are pigs."

His eyes leave his brothers and he looks over at his best friend, who is sitting next to him.

"You don't see me taking home a drunk girl, do you?" As she looks up at him, he sees that her eyes are bloodshot and hazy, her cheeks tinged pink from the liquor. "Oh, well, maybe I am." He knows with how much each of them had, that Taylor will be coming to get them both. They'll have to get their vehicles later.

"There's nothing wrong with finding entertainment in my brother's love life."

"Love? I believe you mean sex life, Christian."

He nods. "Yes, once again, you're right."

Anastasia smiles up at him. "When are you going to learn that I am always right?"

Christian laughs. "But, do you ever get sick of hearing it?"

Giggling, she shakes her head. "Not one bit."

XxXxXx

It's after 10:00 pm and slowly, the girls either go home, head upstairs to sleep off their liquor, or call their boyfriends to come pick them up. Elliot still has his arm around the blonde.

"I guess I better call my brother to come pick me up. I don't feel safe driving." The blonde pulls her phone out of her pocket, but Elliot places his hand over hers.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll take you home. I haven't had a drink in hours." Elliot is always careful to keep a clear head when he takes women home. He doesn't want to risk making any mistakes. He doesn't mind his women a little drunk, but he doesn't want them to be so intoxicated that they can't make decisions for themselves. Often, liquor heightens the libido and lowers the inhibitions, and he won't take the chance of the girl waking up after a blackout, not knowing what's happened, claiming he forced himself on her. He might like his fair share of women, but he's no rapist. Him having a clear head also makes it less likely for an 'oops' to come nine months later. _Wrapping it up is imperative._

She gives him a grin. "I'd rather you take me to your place."

"Even better."

On their way out, Grace catches them.

"Elliot Trevelyan Grey! What do you think you're doing?" Grace has her hands on her hips.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm just taking this nice young lady home. She's had a few too many drinks." He leans down and kisses his mother on the cheek.

"Elliot, please. Don't do anything stupid. Do you even know her name?"

Elliot looks down at the blonde with green eyes and smiles. "Of course, I do. It's…" His eyebrows knit together, trying to remember their conversation earlier." "Kat."

"Kate." The blonde corrects.

"Right, Kate. It's Kate."

Grace gives him an amused grin. "Right, honey. Kate. Kate Kavanagh."

Elliot's smile disappears. "Kavanagh?" He's just put in a bid to build the skyscraper for Kavanagh Media and it's going to be a million dollar venture. _He can't fuck this up._ "As in Eamon Kavanagh?"

Kate giggles. "That's my father."

He winces at his bad luck. "Maybe I should just take you home."

She smiles up at him. "Great. Since you know Dad, maybe you can come in and chat a little!"

His eyes almost pop out of their eye sockets and Grace laughs. He knows he can't take Kate home _this_ drunk. "How about we stop for some coffee first?"

Kate licks her lips. "Pancakes sound phenomenal right now."

He gives her a forced smile and escorts her to the front door. _What the hell did he get himself into?_

Meanwhile, Christian finds Mia talking in the corner with the two friends that are left. He can tell that she's had liquor, but thankfully, she wasn't stupid enough to drink too much around her parents.

"Mia, I need to speak with you."

Her smile drops, remembering the conversation they had earlier.

"Oh, right. Okay." She excuses herself and follows her brother into the empty sitting room. They have a seat on the couch and she turns towards him, tucking her hair behind her ear. "So, um, what did you want to speak to me about?"

Christian sighs. He hates having to play parent to Mia, but it's for her own good.

"I got an interesting call from my club bouncer the other day."

Mia winces. "Oh, you did?"

"Yes, Mia. What the hell happened?"

She looks down at her hands and shrugs. "It was my birthday and everyone kept buying me shots and so I kept taking them and before I know it, I could barely even stand. I didn't realize how much alcohol I had." She doesn't remember much of that night, but from what her friends had told her, she knows she was out of control.

"Mia, look at me." He demands.

She peeks up at him through her eyelashes.

"This is a serious matter, Mia. It is imperative that you watch what you drink and who you take drinks from. You could have been drugged, raped, or even killed! You could have gotten into your vehicle, driven away, and killed an entire family. Alcohol is a serious substance, Mia. It's okay to have fun, but you have to use common sense. It isn't safe to get blackout drunk in a public place. It isn't safe to take drinks from strangers. Thank God you were at my club and Darius knew to look out for you. Who knows what could have happened if you ended up somewhere else! If you weren't my little sister, you would be banned for ever stepping foot in the club again. I swear, if you make an ass out of yourself in my club again, I will ban you myself! No matter where you are, you are _not_ to do this again, do you understand?"

Mia sniffles and nods. She has always looked up to Christian and hates when he's disappointed in her. "I'm sorry, Christian. I won't do it again. I don't know what I was thinking."

He reaches up and wipes her tears away. "I don't mean to be harsh with you, Mia girl, but it's for your own good. I don't want to see you hurt. Everyone makes mistakes. Thankfully, you made yours somewhere relatively safe. It isn't as if I don't know you're going to be drinking and getting drunk, but just use your head. Be smart, okay?"

"Okay."

He gives her an encouraging smile. "Hug it out?"

She giggles and nods. "Yes, please."

He pulls her to him and she keeps her arms around his waist, knowing her boundaries. Her head rests on his shoulder while he squeezes her to him and he kisses her head.

"I love you, Mia. I just want what's best for you."

"I know, Christian. I love you, too."

Anastasia makes her way into the sitting room, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor, but stops when she sees the two siblings embracing. She tries to backtrack, but Christian and Mia pull away to look up at her.

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Taylor is outside waiting for us."

XxXxXx

"Heading off already?" Carrick asks, seeing Anastasia and Christian making their way to the foyer.

Anastasia steps up to give Carrick a hug. "Yes, unfortunately we both have to work in the morning."

"Well, I'm glad you could make it, Ana."

She smiles at him. "Me, too. Thank you for having me. It was fun."

"Is Taylor taking the two of you home?" Carrick questions, knowing the both of them had a few drinks.

Christian smiles. "Yes. I figure if Elliot can take a drunk girl home, then why can't I?"

Anastasia rolls her eyes.

Carrick laughs. "I'm not sure Elliot is going to have as much fun as you think he is."

Christian gives his father a confused look.

"Gracie told me that the girl he picked just happens to be a Kavanagh." His father gives him a large smile, knowing.

Christian lets out a laugh. "Serves the asshole right!" He knows how much Elliot wants that contract with Kavanagh Media.

"Isn't that the guy who's looking at bids for his multi-million dollar skyscraper?" Anastasia asks.

Christian throws his arm around her neck. "Keep up, Steele! This is old news."

"I blame it on my inebriated state."

Christian gives his father a wave as they make their way out of his parents house.

"How inebriated?"

"Not inebriated enough not to realize who's bed I'm falling into…" Anastasia cheeks.

"Damn." Christian feins disappointment. "Guess I'll just have to drop you off at home, then."

"Better luck next time, tiger." She reaches up and pinches his cheek.

 **A/N: Again, if you want a teaser for Chapter 3, let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I want to remind everyone that if you are a guest reviewer, I cannot send you a teaser for the following chapter.**

 **This chapter is a little more serious, but it shows just how devoted Christian is to his Ana.**

Christian is just finishing up with his first meeting of the day, but before he prepares for his next, he decides to call Elliot to see how his night went. He really can't wait to poke fun at his brother's misfortune with Ms. Katherine Kavanagh.

"Hello?" Elliot answers on the second ring, sounding groggy.

"Are you still sleeping?" Christian asks, confused. _It's half past ten already._

Elliot grunts. "I had a late night."

Christian rolls his eyes at his brother's unconcerned attitude about missing work. Being the head of the company comes with certain responsibilities and for all Elliot knows, his employees could be running amok on his dime.

"And why is that?"

"Kate and I sat at IHOP until 3:00 am talking."

Christian falls backward in his office chair, blown away by his brother's words. "Really?"

"Don't sound so shocked, asswipe."

Christian lets out a snort. "I have every reason to believe that you are incapable of speaking to the same girl for more than an hour, shitwad!"

Elliot laughs at his brother's words. "That's a creative one." Elliot and Christian have forever been coming up with creative, colorful names for each other. Neither one of them know how it started, but both of them enjoy their little game.

"Seriously, bro. I really like her. I never thought I could have so much in common with a female. She's got this way about her that keeps my attention. I can't explain it. She is just so genuinely interested in everything I say. And she likes sports. Although her choice in hockey team is questionable, I think think that could change relatively easy with a few trips to see the Thunderbirds."

Christian about chokes on the coffee he's drinking. "You mean you're actually considering taking her to a game? The man who once proclaimed that women didn't belong anywhere near a live game?"

"Kate's a cool chick. She's not the normal."

Christian laughs. "If she's considering dating you, you're right about that."

"Damn it, Christian! I mean, she's not like a normal girl. She like sports and four wheeling and fishing and hunting. And have I mentioned she's so fucking hot? The girl could melt iron for shit's sake!"

Christian sits in his chair, a Cheshire grin on his face while he shakes his head. "Man, you are _so_ over your head right now."

"Oh, fuck, dude. I just thought of something. She's a daddy's girl."

Christian's eyebrows knit together. "Yea? So?"

"He can't say no to her. I've got that job in the bag!" Elliot is pretty damn happy with himself, but Christian knows he can't let him bask in his happiness for too long. Christian is his brother after all. It's his job. One that he takes great joy in.

"You're forgetting one thing, Elliot."

"What's that?"

"He's going to hate you for taking away his little girl." Christian can't keep the grin out of his voice when he tells his brother. Elliot has gotten himself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Damn it!"

"You're fucked." Christian laughs, enjoying his brother's misery. He knows Elliot has to either tell Kate not to mention their newfound relationship to Eamon until after the groundbreaking ceremony for his new skyscraper or try to convince Kate to persuade her father to hire him. Christian was not any better when it came to situations with women in them, but he was much more persuasive in the business world than his brother could ever be.

XxXxXx

Anastasia is awoken by a slight pain in the lower left quadrant of her abdomen. Looking at the clock, she sees that it's 5:30 am.

She groans. "Mother Nature hates me."

Hoping if she hurries, she can fall back to sleep for another hour or so, she climbs out of bed to use the restroom and change her tampon. When she does, she notices that she has bled through while sleeping. Her beautiful white sheets are stained red with blood. She knows she won't be getting another hour of sleep now. She heads into her bathroom and plugs the sink, filling it with cold water. She sheds her soiled panties and pajama shorts and places them in the cold water to soak, hoping that she'll be able to get the stain out of her favorite pair of panties. _She should have never worn them on her period._

Heading toward the shower, Anastasia slips her top off and turns the water on as hot as she can stand it before slipping in. The hot water tinges her pale skin deep pink, but it feels incredible to her sore body. She wets her hair and begins to lather up, but the hot water doesn't ease the nagging pain in her lower abdomen. She washes her hair carefully, trying to keep from pulling on her abdominal muscles. The pulling sensation only makes the pain intensify.

She spends a half an hour in the shower, before climbing out to get ready for the day. She reaches for the tampons, but decides against them and grabs a pad instead, hoping it'll make her more comfortable. She manages to get dressed relatively easily, and leaves her hair in a towel while she changes her bed linens.

As Anastasia reaches for the corner of her bed to pull off the sheet, the nagging pain turns into a stabbing pain, making her cry out and clutch her stomach.

"What is wrong with me?" She's never had period pain this intense before. She wonders if she has some type of cyst on her ovary. Her mother has complained about them before and said that they're painful. _This is for the birds._

She holds onto her side, being careful to move only the bare minimum while she pulls her sheets off. She carries them to her washing machine and sets it to cold presoak. Shoving them in, she adds some Tide laundry detergent and bleach before shutting the lid. She searches through her linen closet and decides to replace her bed linens with navy blue ones for the time being. If she bleeds through again, at least it'll help hide the offending stains.

Anastasia sees that her mattress protector is also stained, but she decides against changing it at the moment. She only owns one and she won't dare take the chance of staining her mattress. _Can't wash that._

After some painful effort on her part, she finally gets her sheets changed and her duvet back on her bed. She feels exhausted already from the effort she put in this morning and decides to plop down on the bed for a moment.

"Ouch." She grabs her side, regretting the movement. She isn't sure she can handle being at work all day like this.

Grabbing her phone, Anastasia sends an email to Mr. Roach, her boss, explaining that she is sick and will be working from home today. She has plenty of emails and a manuscript in her bag that will last her the eight hour day.

Carefully, she grabs her work bag from the kitchen and while she's in there, she makes a pot of coffee. _Nothing is worth missing her morning coffee._

She places her coffee on the nightstand beside her and gets comfortable in bed with a red pen, a highlighter, and the manuscript. She tries to concentrate on what she is reading, but she's too drowsy and she finds herself drifting off.

XxXxXx

While listening to Elliot fret about what he should do about the Kavanagh situation, Christian's cell phone buzzes on his desk. A picture of him and Ana pop up with her name across the screen.

He grins. He always looks forward to Ana's morning texts. He can always tell how her mood for the day is just by one sentence and if she's had her first cup of coffee, yet.

 _*Christian, I'm in a lot pain. I'm kind of scared. This isn't normal. Will you come?*_

His heart drops into his stomach. He hangs up the phone without so much of a word to his brother and grabs his jacket.

 _*I'm on my way, Ana. Where are you?*_

He hits the intercom button. "Taylor. Pull the car around now. It's an emergency."

Slipping on his jacket, he heads out to the lobby to speak with Andrea. He can feel his hands shaking from the surge of adrenaline that has coursed through his body from worry. She has never once asked him to leave work for something like this.

His phone pings and he fumbles with his phone to try to unlock it.

" _Fuck."_ Christian hisses under his breath. He forces himself to take a deep, calming breath, settling himself down just enough to unlock his phone. He knows he needs to remain cool and calm in this situation. If Anastasia really is in trouble, she needs him to be her rock.

 _*Home.*_

He thanks God that she's at home, safe.

"Andrea, cancel all my meetings for the day. A family emergency has arose and I won't be in for the rest of the day. Reschedule them for later this week." He heads straight for the elevator and down to the garage, where Taylor has already pulled up with the SUV.

"Ana's apartment. Now."

Anastasia's apartment is only five minutes from Grey House, but that five minutes feels like an eternity. He thinks about calling her on the way, but decides against it, thinking that if she wanted to speak, she would have called him. An unwelcome thought runs through his mind. _What if she's in too much pain to speak?_

"Taylor! For Christ's sake! Hurry the fuck up!"

When Taylor pulls up to the front of her apartment, Christian jumps out of the vehicle before it's even stopped. He yanks his keys out of his jacket pocket and scans his keyfob on the sensor for the front door, unlocking it. He hurries into the lobby and towards the elevator, but gets intercepted by the concierge.

"Hello, Mr. Grey! Lovely to see you today. Are you visiting with Ms. Steele? Would you like any refreshments brought up?" Usually, he enjoys that Erica is so personable with everyone she comes in contact with, but today, he doesn't have the patience. Christian actually owns the apartment building, Grey Towers, and right now he's wishing everyone didn't know him.

"No, Erica. Just stay at your desk." He hits the elevator button and his weight keeps moving from one foot to the other while he waits for the what seems like the slowest elevator on fucking Earth. While he waits, three other people greet him and try to chat, but he cuts them off when the elevator opens.

Once he's at her door, which is on the eleventh floor, he slips his key in the handle and allows himself him.

"ANA? ANA WHERE ARE YOU?" He sees that a pot of coffee is made, but it's been sitting awhile because the heating light is off.

"I'm in here, Christian! The bedroom!"

He sprints into the bedroom and finds her curled up in a ball under the covers. Sitting beside her, he brushes her hair out of her face.

"Ana...what's wrong?" Feeling her forehead, it feels a little warm. "Are you sick?"

Anastasia whimpers and rolls to her back. "I don't know. I've got stabbing pain on the lower left side of my stomach."

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "When did this start?"

"This morning." Her arm presses tightly against her side. "I thought it was just period cramps, but then it just kept getting worse. Then I thought that maybe it was an ovarian cyst...my mom gets those sometimes...but it's so painful. I just didn't want to be by myself anymore."

"Ana, can you show me where it hurts?" Christian remembers when Elliot ended up with a hernia and had pain like this. The hernia of Elliot's protruded out of his side.

He lowers her duvet and sheet and she points to where it hurts. He takes it upon himself to pull her shirt up and her pajama bottoms down enough to see the spot. The pad of his thumb ghosts over her skin.

"Right here?"

Anastasia nods. "Yes, right there."

Seeing that the spot is flat, he rules out a hernia. At least, one he can see. He rights her clothing and she whimpers, rolling onto her side.

"Love, if you're in that much pain, maybe we should call an ambulance."

 _She doesn't like that idea_. "No, it's not like I'm bleeding to death, Christian. I can walk. There's no need for that drama."

Christian sighs. "Fine. Then, I'll drive you to the Emergency Department myself. Come on." He reaches to pick her up, but she swats him away.

"I can't go like this! I need to change my clothes." She sits up slowly, trying to ease her way to a standing position.

"You aren't serious!? It's just the Emergency-"

"No, Christian! I have to get dressed first. What if someone I know sees me? What if there's a cute doctor?"

His head falls back in a laugh. "You're really thinking about that now?"

Anastasia gives him a scowl. "Well, now, I'm thinking I just want to pummel you to death."

Christian rolls his eyes. "And how are you going to do that? You can barely stand to get dressed without crying. Plus, you're like...what? A hundred pounds?"

She huffs. "Just help me out of bed, you nitwit!"

Even though he knows that this is serious, he can't help but grin at their banter. He's glad to see that she's still her spunky self even in this much pain.

He helps ease her out of bed and onto her feet. "Doing okay? Need help getting dressed?"

She shakes her head and makes her way toward her closet. "No, I'll be fine. I'll meet you in the other room when I'm finished."

Christian is frustrated that she won't let him help, but he doesn't want to push her. He knows that if she needs help, she'll ask.

It takes her thirty minutes to get dressed and get her hair halfway presentable. _She should have never went back to bed with it wet._

In that thirty minute time span, Christian has managed to knock on the door three times to check on her, once to ask her if she needs water, and once more to use her restroom, which she knows is just a way of checking on her once more. He could have easily used the guest bath. As she slips her sandals on, Christian calls down to the valet to pull the car around.

Christian asks to carry her down to the car, but she refuses. She doesn't want any rumors flying around the apartment complex. When they get to the doors, the valet has her vehicle pulled up to the curb; a GMC Yukon Denali. He scrunches his nose at it and helps her in the passengers seat.

"I'll never understand why you'd ever need a vehicle this large."

She rolls her eyes. "I just like big cars. I like being up high and it makes me feel safe."

He knows there's no reason to argue about this. They'll never see eye-to-eye on the subject. When she got promoted to Senior Editor, he told her he'd buy her any car of her choosing as a gift. He didn't expect her to ask for something like this. He had hoped that she would ask for an Audi, since she always raved about his, but he hadn't gotten that lucky. The only thing that he did like about the large vehicle is that it is large enough for everyone to see her coming, plus, it is heavy. _Sturdy_. The safety ratings on this SUV aren't as high as his Audi, but most aren't. She is his best friend and he never wants anything to happen to her, but she isn't his property and he can't force her to drive a certain vehicle just because of his preference.

He hands the valet a tip and slides into the driver's side.

"Snapped in?" He asks, reaching over to check that the seat belt is secure.

She gives him a knowing grin. "Does it matter what I say? You'll still check."

Christian laughs as he secures his own belt. "You know me so well."

XxXxXx

Anastasia is triaged, brought back into a room and asked to put on a gown. Once she's settled into her bed, Christian has a seat next to her in a chair.

"Anastasia?"

"Yes?"

A tall man with gray hair and glasses comes in, wearing turquoise scrubs and a black stethoscope around his neck.

"I'm Dr. Hanko. I hear you're having some abdominal pain today?" He steps over to the sink and washes his hands quickly.

"Yes, it started this morning. I thought it was just period cramping, but it got worse. It's like a stabbing pain every time I move."

The doctor nods. "I'm going to lift your gown and press on your abdomen a bit. Tell me where it hurts."

"Okay." Anastasia is a bit nervous about being poked and prodded.

Leaning her bed back so that she's flat, Dr. Hanko lowers her sheet and raises her gown, looking over her stomach.

"Can you point to where the pain is coming from?"

She points to her left side and thankfully, the doctor starts on the opposite side, pressing and palpating the area. He slowly makes his way to her left side and Anastasia begins to wince and when he hits the spot, she cries out and her body automatically tries to sit up to protect itself.

"I'm sorry Anastasia, are you alright?" Dr. Hanko squeezes her shoulder and urges her to lay back and relax. "I'm not going to touch it anymore." He steps away to write a few things down in her chart. "Have you had any history of pain in that side? Maybe some that only lasted a little while and left?"

Anastasia shakes her head. "No, not really. My mother has always had ovarian cysts, though. That was my first thought this morning."

"Ah." Dr. Hanko nods, noting it in the chart. "I'd really like to do a pelvic exam on you and then we'll do an ultrasound and maybe a CT if neither of those show anything."

"A pelvic exam? But, I'm on my period." Anastasia's cheeks light up a little at the thought.

He gives her an encouraging smile. "Anastasia, there's no reason to be embarrassed. This is a common procedure. I just want to make sure there isn't anything there. Maybe you forgot to take a tampon out before putting another one? Or there might be a mass or polyp that I'll be able to see or feel. I promise I'll make it quick. Let me grab the nurse and we'll be right back."

Christian and Anastasia watch him leave and Christian stands. "Well, that's my cue to step out."

Anastasia grabs his shirt. "Don't you dare! You aren't leaving me alone! I don't care if you do have to see everything I've got! Close your eyes if you have to. Just don't leave me here alone."

His eyes widen and he slowly sits back in his seat. "Okay...okay, I'm not going anywhere. Relax." He places his hand over the one that is clenching his shirt and her hand relaxes. He takes her hand in his and using his free hand, he brushes out the wrinkle in his shirt.

The nurse in dark blue scrubs comes in carrying a handful of items.

"Hello, Anastasia. My name is Karen and I'll be your nurse. Dr. Hanko wants me to start a line on you and give you some pain medication before he starts the exam. Is there a side you prefer the IV to go in?"

"This side, please." Anastasia holds up her right arm, knowing from experience that they have an easier time finding her vein. She hates needles, but she knows that needles are part of the whole ED experience...and the experience is hardly ever pleasant, no matter how personable the staff is or how great the service. _No wonder people are always so grouchy._

Christian continues to sit by Anastasia's side and holds her hand while the nurse finds her vein. Thankfully, the line goes in relatively easy and before they know it, she's hooked up to an IV saline drip.

"Alright, I'm going to give you your pain medication now. I can push it through your IV. You should feel the effects pretty quickly. Now, I need to ask you to slip your bottoms off. Since you're on your period, I'll put a disposable pad under you. Dr. Hanko and I will be back in about twenty minutes to do your exam."

Nodding, Anastasia climbs out of bed so that Karen can place the pad on the bed.

"Christian...would you mind…?" She points toward the opposite wall and he grins.

"Don't want me to see that nice little backside of yours, love?"

She gives him a scowl. "Christian!"

"Okay, okay. Don't have a coronary." He turns his body away from her and she hurries to slip her panties off, folding them together and placing them on the chair under her shirt and jeans.

"Okay." Anastasia settles back into bed to wait for the painkiller to kick in.

Christian has a seat in his chair and his phone vibrates. Looking at it, he sees that it's Ros. He hits ignore and quickly types out a message.

 _*Can't talk. Family emergency. I'll call you later.*_

He slips his phone in his pocket and throws his feet out in front of him, crossing his feet at his ankles. _Might as well get comfortable._

He catches Anastasia frowning at him.

"What is it?"

She shakes her head. "Christian, was that work? I'm sorry. If you need to go-"

"Don't be silly." he cuts her off. "You're more important. Ros will be fine without me for a few hours."

She searches his face, trying to decide if she should continue to try to convince to go. She had been in too much pain to think about it earlier, but now that her anxiety is gone and she's being taken care of, she feels guilty about pulling her best friend from work. He's always been such a workaholic and she's worried that being away from work will eat at his anxiety.

"Are you sure? Really, I'm okay." Anastasia tries to convince him, but he knows better. Often, she lets her guilt eat her alive and she's willing to put everyone else's needs or wants before her own. He'll be fine away from work for awhile. Really, it's probably good for him.

"Ana, I'm sure. I want to stay with you. I want to be here for you." They've always been there for one another and she needs him. He doesn't want to be anywhere, but with her during this worrisome time.

She gives him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Christian. You're the best."

He gives her a wink. "I know."

XxXxXx

After finding nothing wrong via pelvic exam, Dr. Hanko orders Anastasia an transvaginal ultrasound. It takes almost thirty minutes before the results are back and Dr. Hanko knocks on the door.

"Anastasia?" This time, the doctor isn't smiling.

"Yes?" Anastasia is worried.

"Well... we've got your transvaginal ultrasound results back and it looks like you've got something called endometriosis." Dr. Hanko explains. "I was hopeful that it was just a cyst, but unfortunately, it's something a little more serious."

Anastasia frowns. "Endometriosis? What is that?"

The doctor has a seat on his chair. "It's when the tissue from your uterus grows around it. Tissue that usually sloughs off during your period hasn't been able to and it's built up. It looks as though you've had this for awhile. I think it's best if you see your OBGYN about this. She can tell you more about it. Until then, I'm writing you a slip to be off work and an order for some pain medication. I've alerted your OBGYN's office and they'll be giving you a call later today to make an appointment later this week."

Anastasia's heart is racing. She has no idea what any of this means. She has many questions, but she's too dumbfounded at the moment to be able to ask.

"Is it cancerous?" Christian asks.

"Well...it can cause ovarian cancer, but it's pretty rare. You're still young, Anastasia, and although it will never go away, there are different things you can do to help cope with it. Dr. Greene will look over your results from today and help you make a sort of road map for dealing with this. It isn't the greatest prognosis...but it could be much worse."

Christian stands to shake Dr. Hanko's hand. "Thank you for taking such great care of Ana."

"Of course." The doctor turns to Anastasia. "You just go home and get some rest, alright? Everything will be fine. I'll write up your discharge paperwork and then you two will be out of here in a few."

Anastasia tries to give Dr. Hanko a smile, but it comes out like a grimace. She expected it to be a small ovarian cyst or something of the sort. She wasn't expecting something like this. She wished that her parents didn't live in Savannah, Georgia. She could really use her mother right now.

As Christian stands toward the wall while Anastasia gets redressed, he can't help, but feel a little panicked for his best friend. He hates that she got this news from the doctor; he's sure that she wasn't expecting it. _It's not something that will ever go away._ His best friend is twenty-six years old and she's stuck with this for the rest of her life. At least she won't be going through it alone. He's determined to be here for her through everything.

Christian takes her home and the car ride is quiet. He keeps glancing over at his favorite girl, and he can see that the cogs in her brain are working in overdrive. He wants to say something, but he doesn't know what to say. He can tell her that he'll be here through everything, but he knows she's already aware of that. He can say that he's sure that everything will be fine, but it'd be an empty statement. He doesn't know if everything will be fine.

This disorder could cause her pain for the rest of her life. She would have the option of pain medication, but then she'd have to worry about becoming addicted to the medication. It could become so bad that she does end up having cancer and she'd have to go through surgery, chemo, or radiation. The thought of having to watch her suffer through something so traumatic really messes with his emotions. Part of him feels like crying, but he knows that there isn't anything to be upset about, yet...maybe not even at all. Besides, he needs to be her strength. Her parents live across the country and she needs a rock to ground her, to protect her, and to be a permanent fixture in her life while she goes through this.

Anastasia wonders if she should call her mother when she gets home, or if she should wait until after she sees Dr. Greene. She knows her parents aren't made of money and she doesn't want her mother to fret over something that might be nothing. She worries that her mother would waste the money on a plane ticket to come see her before she finds anything out. She knows that her mother would want to know as soon as it happens, but she also knows it might be the best to wait until there's something to worry about. Her parents already worry about her. If it wasn't for Christian, they might have ended up worrying themselves silly over her. They trust Christian and they know that he would take care of Anastasia is something were to happen. Her father calls Christian once a week to chat and to check up on Anastasia, knowing that she'd tell them she is fine, even if she isn't.

Anastasia isn't sure if she can wait until after Dr. Greene's appointment to call her parents. Hearing their voices always calms her and a part of her wants to sob to her mother about this. She wants her mother to make it all better.

Deciding that she'll see how she feels after she gets home, Anastasia forces herself to push the situation out of her mind for now. She's got Christian with her and that's more than enough. He's the greatest best friend she could ever imagine. He is such a loving, kind, selfless man; why couldn't she find a man like that to marry?

 _Oh, no, Steele. Don't start that now._

After running through Wal-Green's drive-thru to get her medication, Christian drives them back to her apartment and helps tuck her in.

"Are you hungry?" He asks, knowing the answer.

She shakes her head. "No, I'm just going to try to sleep for awhile. Thank you for coming today, Christian. It means everything to me."

"You're very welcome, love. I'm glad you told me you were in pain, Ana. I would never want you going through this alone."

She gives him a genuine smile and reaches for her cell phone to turn the ringer up. She wants to be able to hear it go off when Dr. Greene's office calls.

"Do you want me to go to your appointment with you?"

Anastasia shakes her head. "No, I'm good now. I can go by myself."

"Really, Ana, it's no problem." Christian would actually prefer to go with her, to be with her and support her if she does get bad news.

She picks at her fingernails. "Well, honestly, I'd rather go by myself. I just feel like I should."

His stomach drops a little at her admission, but he understands. This is her body and her decision.

"Promise me you'll come to Grey House right after? I want to know everything."

She chews her lip and nods. "Okay, I promise." She pauses just a second too long for him to completely believe her.

"Anastasia…"

"I promise, Christian." She says it more confidently and he smiles.

"Kiss on it." He leans down and presses his lips firmly to hers, something they've always done when promising each other something. Instead of pinky-promising, they seal it with a kiss. It's something unique and special that the two of them share that they'll never share with anyone else. "Now, you can't break it."

She giggles lightly. "I'm well aware, Christian."

He fusses over her blankets a little more and she swats at his hands, telling him to go home.

"You don't want me to to stay?"

Anastasia shakes her head. "I'm just going to sleep. There's no reason for you to stay. Just go home and rest, or, knowing you, go work."

Christian chuckles. "Go to sleep, Anastasia. Text me when you wake. I'll let myself out." _There is no way he is going to leave her._ He slips out of her room and shuts her door behind him before heading into the kitchen. He knows she'll need to eat when she wakes, but if he even tries to cook, he might burn the whole damn building down.

Suddenly, an idea occurs to him and he pulls out his phone.

"Gail? I need your help."

XxXxXx

"Thanks, Gail. I don't know what I'd do without you." Christian states, watching Gail move around Anastasia's kitchen.

"That's what I'm here for, Christian. You know how much I love Ana. If she needs my help, then I'm more than happy to do what I can."

He hears the door to Anastasia's room open and Anastasia comes padding out of the room barefoot and yawning. Her feet stop dead and her yawn is cut short when she realizes she isn't alone.

"Christian? Gail? What are you doing here? I thought you went home." Anastasia makes her way to Gail to give her a hug before having a seat at the island next to Christian.

Looking her over, Christian sees that she's been crying.

"What is it, Ana?"

Anastasia shrugs. "Curiosity got the best of me, I guess. I looked up endometriosis and it says that it can cause infertility, cancer, and severe scarring." She shakes her head and looks down at her hands. "Infertility, Christian. What if I can't have children?"

He frowns. Unfortunately, curiosity got the best of him, too, and he researched a little while she was sleeping. Infertility seems to be one of the more common complications with endometriosis. If it is severe enough, even if Anastasia can get pregnant, there is a chance of her miscarrying or even having a ectopic pregnancy.

For Anastasia, possible infertility is almost a worse punishment than ending up with cancer. She's always pictured that she'd get married, have a child, and enjoy the white picket fence lifestyle. This prognosis could change everything for her. After this news, her desire to have a child has doubled.

"Ana...everything will work out how it should. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry until you see Dr. Greene." Christian isn't sure what to say. _Is there anything to say in this situation?_ Probably nothing that will make it better.

Anastasia leans on the counter, resting her head on her arm. "This sucks."

Christian rubs her back as she sits, pouting. "I know, Ana. I'm sorry, love. Let's eat."

"I don't want to."

"Tough." _If he has to force feed her, then by damned, that's what he's going to do._ Watching her waste away in front of him is not something he's going to allow to happen. His best friend needs him now more than ever and he's going to be here every step of the way...no matter how much she kicks and screams.

 **Want a teaser for Chapter 4? Let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is a little shorter, but I felt like it was a good place to stop.**

Anastasia leaves Dr. Greene's office with a bittersweet feeling in her heart. She knows she needs some time to process all the information that Dr. Greene has just given her, but she also knows she promised Christian that she'd head straight to his office after the appointment. _They kissed on it._ She can't break a sealed promise. She's hoping that explaining everything to Christian will help make her see things a little more clearly. She's got a long road ahead of her and she's got some difficult decisions to make.

Christian has already texted her three times, asking if she's alright and wondering why she isn't answering. She's spent a long time with her OBGYN, going over everything in fine detail. It ended up taking longer than she had expected and she knows that Christian is probably pulling his hair out by now.

 _*Just left Dr. Greene's office. On my way.*_

She hears the ping of her phone again, but she doesn't dare look at it while driving. The last thing she needs is to get into an accident over a text message. Christian knows that she's okay and that she's coming, so whatever he's said can wait a few more minutes.

XxXxXx

Christian paces in his office while he waits for Anastasia to text him. Her appointment was scheduled for 9:30 am and it is now just after 11:00 am. _What could be taking so long?_ Surely, it can't be good news. He sends her text after text, asking if she's okay, but gets no answer.

"Maybe I should drive over there." He mumbles, pacing. He knows that if Anastasia is okay and he shows up, he's in for an earful...but if she isn't okay and _does_ need him…

His phone pings and he dives for his desk, where his cell phone sits.

Reading her text, makes him settle a little bit. _She'll be here soon._

 _*Why did it take so fucking long? Hurry up, woman!*_

His best friend is going to have him turning gray before his thirtieth birthday. He's thankful that he doesn't have another woman to entertain at the moment, because he doesn't think he has enough energy for both. He's done nothing, but worry sick over Anastasia since Monday, when they went to the ED. It's now Wednesday, but it feels like it's been much longer. He hasn't slept, gotten much work done, or been able to concentrate enough to even play the piano...something that has always calmed him in the past. Nothing will calm him until he knows that his best friend, _his Ana_ , is okay.

Christian tries to sit at his desk and relax a little before she comes, but it's hard to.

He buzzes Andrea.

"Yes, Mr. Grey?"

"When Ms. Steele comes up, bring her tea."

"Yes, sir."

He sits back in his chair, doing his best to calm his nerves. He closes his eyes and takes slow, deep breaths in and out, calming his rapid heart rate.

Hearing the door to his office, Christian opens his eyes, and Anastasia slips in, shutting the door behind her. He immediately pops out of his chair and strides over to her.

"Ana? Ana, what'd she say?"

Anastasia keeps her eyes downcast, trying to keep herself together. Christian being by her side is a welcome relief, but with that relief comes the need to cry. She knows if she's just given a few extra seconds, she can swallow her tears back and she'll be fine.

"Ana?" Christian doesn't like how quiet she is. She won't even look at him. He lifts her chin with his index finger, finding her eyes. As soon as she makes eye contact with him, the dam breaks. She lets out a sob and covers her face with her hands as she cries.

He pulls her against him and she hides in his neck as she clings to him. She breathes in deeply, finding comfort in his familiar smell and the warmth of his body heat. She knows that he's her world… her entire galaxy… and she doesn't know what she'd do without him. He's her safe place to land and she knows she could never put into words how much he means to her and how much she appreciates it. Knowing this only makes her sob harder.

Christian rubs her back and squeezes her close, feeling her shatter in his arms. Swallowing back his own tears, he now knows that the news she got can't be good.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Andrea slip in with Anastasia's tea and he nods over to his desk, silently asking her to set it there.

"I've got you, Ana. I've got you. I'll do everything I can to make it better, I promise." He presses his lips to her hair and picks her up, startling her a little. He moves them both to the couch where he sits with her straddling his lap, her face still in his neck as she cries big, ugly sobs into his neck.

Christian knows that Anastasia needs to cry it out, so he doesn't bother trying to hush her or ask her to stop. Crying is such a therapeutic way of overcoming harsh emotions and he won't deny her this form of therapy, now. Although he wants to know what the doctor said, he'll wait patiently and hold her until she's ready to come out of hiding.

He rubs her back, hugs her close, and presses kisses to her hair until she finally settles enough to relax against him. It's takes her almost twenty minutes, but she finally reappears.

Anastasia sniffles and wipes at her eyes as she looks at Christian's shirt. His expensive button-up is stained with her tears. "I'm sorry." She reaches up and runs her hand over the wet spot, surveying the damage.

He shakes his head. "No reason to be. It's just a shirt."

She nods, understanding. "I just need to use the restroom to freshen up." She slides off his lap to use his personal bathroom and Christian frowns at the loss. Anastasia was a comforting, warm weight in is lap, even if she was upset. It reminded him that she was here, she was safe, and she trusted him.

After Anastasia splashes some water on her face and cleans herself up, she slips her shoes off and curls up next to Christian on the couch.

"What happened, love? What'd Dr. Greene say?" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his handkerchief for her. She takes it appreciatively.

"Thanks." She chews her lip and plays with the handkerchief between her fingers. "A lot. We talked for a long time." She sniffles. "She says that it's a pretty serious case. Evidently, it's been happening for a long time because she said the build-up is pretty bad. She said that there's no way I could carry a child with my uterus looking like this." Her chin trembles and a few tears leak out of her eyes, but she swallows back her emotions. If she doesn't she might never get through this.

"What? No, Ana…" He takes her hand in his. "There has to be something she can do."

Anastasia nods. "There's a chance. If I have surgery to clean all the old tissue out. She said that it's possible I could get pregnant on my own after that, but it's not very likely. Plus, I don't have anyone to get pregnant _with._ She said that a better option is IVF."

"IVF?" He asks. It sounds familiar, but he can't place it.

"Yes. In Vitro Fertilization."

Christian's eyebrows knit together. "Like a test tube baby?"

She shakes her head. "More like a petri dish baby."

Christian looks down at their hands entwined together. "And you'll have to have surgery?" He doesn't like the sound of that.

"Yes. She strongly recommends it no matter what I choose. She said it'll help a lot with the pain and it'll help with scarring and the probability of cancer won't be as high."

It doesn't make sense to him. "Why now? I mean, why would the pain come out of nowhere if it's been an issue for so long?"

Anastasia shrugs. "Dr. Greene says there's no rhyme or reason to it. She said some women with severe endometriosis have little to no pain, while other women who only have a little bit of build up can feel like they're insides are being torn to pieces. She said it's lucky that I felt the pain, because it might have been too late to salvage my uterus to try for children by the time I looked into why I wasn't becoming pregnant." She shakes her head and a few more tears leak out. "I don't know if lucky is the proper word for it."

"Do you want to try this in vitro thing?" He asks, curious.

Anastasia stays quiet for a few moments, thinking. "I...I don't know. I want a child more than anything right now, but I don't want to bring one into the world if I can't take care of them properly. I work a full-time job and I don't even have a boyfriend. I'd be a single mom. Is that really fair to a baby?"

Christian's heart aches at her words. He remembers how much his birth mother struggled to support the two of them before she passed away. Of course, she was also an addict and a prostitute, but he doesn't know how long she had been that way. When he thinks about his birth mother, he worries that he's the reason why she had to become what she was...that she had to sell her body to make ends meet for the two of them. Maybe if he had never been born, she wouldn't have had to live that lifestyle and she wouldn't have become an addict. She might still be alive. There's a possibility that it could have been his fault, but he refuses to let the same happen to Anastasia.

"Even if you raise a child by yourself, you won't be a single mom. You have me, you have your parents, you have my family...Gail and Taylor...None of us are going to let you do this by yourself. You just have to let us help. Hell, let the kid call me Daddy. You know I'm not going anywhere. I'll be the stand-in."

His comment makes her giggle and his heart that has been aching since Monday suddenly feels a load lighter.

"You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better." She gives him a soft smile and he gives her a wink.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm the best."

Her smile widens. "I guess as many times as I have to remind you that I'm always right."

He opens his arms for her. "Come here."

"But you hate when I make you hug me."

Christian rolls his eyes. "You aren't making me this time. I want to."

Sliding over to him, she settles against him and holds him tight. "Thank you, Christian. For everything. I don't know how I could get through this without you."

He plays with her hair, curling one of her tendrils around his index finger. "That's what I'm here for, love." He slides down in the couch a little, getting comfortable and lets her cuddle into his side. "So? How do you feel about all this? Do you know what you're going to do...or want to do?"

She messes with the buttons on the front of his shirt. "I think...I think I'd like to try it. I have to have the surgery first and see if the doctor can get my uterus cleaned out enough and then if she gives me the okay, I'll have to give myself hormone shots so that they can grab a few of my eggs. If they manage to get a few good ones, then I'll need sperm. I'll have to research my options there. Sperm banks...I know there's one in Seattle."

Christian frowns at the thought of Ana carrying some random man's baby. At least, this way the birth father won't have any rights to the child. If Anastasia would have happened to be dating at the moment and use that man's sperm, he could fight for rights if something happened between the two of them.

"One step at a time, then, Ana." He didn't like the idea of her going under the knife, but there wasn't much choice. "Let's concentrate on having the surgery right now and then we'll go from there."

Anastasia nods. "Yes, that's probably best."

"Did Dr. Greene say when you'd likely be having the surgery?"

"Next Friday."

Next...what? Next Friday?!" Christian wasn't expecting this. "But...but that's next week! You just found this all out, Ana. They aren't going to give you time to process it all?"

"Hey…" She looks up at him from her spot on his chest and reaches up to cup his stubbled cheek. "It'll be okay. It was my decision. If they do it now, then I'll be given the green light to start the hormone shots after my next period. I just want to get this moving, Christian. If I can't have a baby...then, I want to know and put this all behind me."

The thought of Anastasia being put under and cut open really upsets Christian, but he knows there's nothing he can do to stop it. "I'll make sure to move my appointments that day."

Anastasia's eyebrows knit together. "Christian, there's no need. I'm hoping my parents...or at least my mother...can come down for it." She knows she'll have to pay for their plane tickets, but she's more than willing to do so to have them here with her.

"Don't be ridiculous. Would you go to work on a day I was having surgery?"

She frowns. "No, I guess not. Okay, fine. You can entertain my mother, then."

He rolls his eyes dramatically. "Great. Just what I want. Another Steele woman sobbing on my shoulder."

"Christian!" Anastasia swats at his chest, admonishing him. "She has my father, you know. Hopefully he'll come, too."

"Can they afford to both fly to Seattle?"

"I'll pay for it." She answers, not worried about it.

"No, you won't. Let me take care of it."

She looks up at him. "Really, it's no problem. I'll do it. I'm the one that needs them here, Christian. I've got enough-"

"Stop it." He cuts her off. "You'll let me do this. Promise me."

She rolls her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if you just say that to have an excuse to kiss me."

He grins. "Maybe, but I do like having the assurance that you'll do as I say."

"As you say?" She cocks an eyebrow at him and sits up. "I don't think I'll be promising anything, Grey. I'll do as I please." She crosses her arms and gives him a cross look, challenging him.

"Oh, I think you will." He lunges at her and she squeals, trying to make a break for it, but fails miserably. Holding her down on the couch, he tickles her ribs while she flails around.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Christian's hand must have slid down too far and he pulls away from her, horrified that he hurt her.

"Ana, I'm so sorry, I didn't…" He trails off, seeing a smile on her face. "You little brat. That's it!" He lunges for her again and holds her wrists above her head, securing them with one hand. "Kiss on it!"

She giggles and turns her head to the side. "No!"

"Do as I say, Anastasia!"

She shakes her head and presses her lips together, trying to hide them.

He grabs her chin and tries to turn her head, but she won't budge. Instead, he leans down and rubs his stubble against her neck, making her squeal and turn her head toward him. He tries to kiss her quickly, but she manages to dodge him and he ends up kissing her cheek.

"You aren't going to win this, girl. You might as well give in!" He holds her face in place and she sucks in her lips when his lips try to come in contact with hers. "Fine. You want to do this the hard way? Then so be it." He squeezes her cheeks together, using his thumb and index finger and her lips pop out, making her look like a fish.

Finally, his lips come in contact with hers. "Ah, that's better. Now, let me take care of it."

She begins to giggle. "Leh go uh my face." She says through her fish lips.

"Nope. You made me work for this. I think I'll enjoy it a little longer." He ducks down and presses his lips to hers over and over in quick succession, making her giggle even more.

"Done yeh?" She asks, making him laugh.

"I quite enjoy listening to you try to talk like this."

She wiggles underneath him and he feels a sudden stirring deep in his stomach that makes him release her and sit back quickly. _Don't go there, Grey._ He liked that a little too much.

His sudden surrender from their little game confuses Anastasia and she sits up quickly, her eyebrows knitted together to form a 'V'. "Is something wrong?"

He licks his lips and gives her a smile. "I just decided to have pity on you, Steele. I had to act before I changed my mind."

She rolls her eyes and rubs her cheeks, which are sore from being squished. "You're a savage, you know that?"

Christian wiggles his eyebrows. "You don't even know the half of it, love."


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm so excited to see my parents!" Anastasia beams from the passenger side of Christian's black Audi Q5. Tomorrow, she'll be having her surgery and, although it isn't under the best of circumstances, she can't help but be excited about seeing them. It's been months since she last saw them face-to-face. _Too long._

Christian smiles from the driver's seat as he pulls up into one of the pick up parking spots at the airport. He was so relieved when he found out that both of her parents were able to come support her during the surgery. He knows that Anastasia thinks his presence will keep them calmer while she's in the OR, but he honestly thinks that they might create enough of a distraction to keep him from pulling his own hair out. He'd never tell her that, though. He does his best at trying to keep cool, calm, and collected, hiding his anxiety about stressful situations.

He has always had an issue with anxiety and even finds himself needing to take medication on an as-needed basis, even though he tries not to. He knows that this surgery is pretty common and pretty easy, but it's his best friend. _It's different._ They've never operated on her before and he would be so devastated if anything would happen to her. He's aware that being this worried is illogical, but the thought of losing another loved one makes his hands shake, his palms sweat, and his stomach churn. His inner circle is small, but he loves each one of them fiercely.

"Christian? Are you alright?" Anastasia notices that he's been quiet since he picked her up, and she worries that his anxiety is getting the best of him. He's always tried to hide his anxiety from her, but she's known him for too long...plus, she found his Ativan in his medicine cabinet. He has always tried to play the strong, dominant businessman, but she knows deep down there's a nervous, little boy in there somewhere. Losing his birth mother like he did at his age was too scarring. He won't admit it, but she knows. She knows him better than he knows himself.

"Huh?" He blinks at her and then nods. "Oh, yea. I'm fine, Ana. Just been a long day." It isn't a lie. He shoved a whole days worth of work in six hours so that he could leave early to pick up her parents.

Anastasia frowns. "Maybe you should have stayed home. I could have picked them up myself."

He snorts. "And miss out on your mother's cooing?" Carla Steele thinks that Christian is the most darling boy she has ever met. Anastasia tries to remind her that he is now a man, but her mother always hushes her and waves her off. Christian quite enjoys being fussed over.

"Like you need an ego boost." Anastasia rolls her eyes.

"Always." He flips down the vanity mirror and checks his hair and straightens his tie.

"It isn't a date, Christian!" She snaps, making him laugh.

"Scared she'll leave Ray for me?" He gives Anastasia a wink.

She wrinkles her nose at the thought.

"I'll let you call me Daddy."

"Oh...my…god. This is so not happening." Anastasia covers her face with her hands and shakes her head. "You've scarred me for life."

Laughing, he reaches over and hooks an arm around her neck, pulling her closer to him. "I'm just kidding, love. Why would I settle for the older model when I could have the new one?"

Her hands drop from her face and she cocks an eyebrow at him. "Please don't say things like that in front of her. She's already pushing us together as it is. It'll just fuel her."

"So, I shouldn't offer to stay over tonight and share your bed?"

"No." Her tone is flat.

He chuckles and kisses the top of her head before releasing her from his grip. "I'll be on my best behavior. I promise."

She rolls her eyes and begins to make a smart ass comment, but sees her parents making their way out of the sliding doors.

"They're here!"

She climbs out of the car and hurries over to them, hugging her mother first. "Oh, I'm so happy both of you could come! I've missed you."

"Me, too, Ana. I'm glad we could be here. I've been worried sick about you."

Anastasia giggles at her mother's words and pulls back to look at her. "Well, you're here now and we can spend some time together. In twenty-four hours this part will over."

Raymond Steele greets Christian and shakes his hand. "Good to see you, Christian. I appreciate you flying us in."

Christian shakes his head. "It was nothing. Ana needs you."

"Who's that strapping young man?" Carla states, winking at Christian.

Christian beams while Ana hugs her father. "Hello, Carla. Glad you could make it." He pulls her into a hug and she knows to keep her arms around his waist, but that doesn't keep her from squeezing him with all her might.

"You always smell so delicious. Tell me, has my daughter put a ring on it, yet?" Carla asks, picking up his left hand to look. Seeing it bare, she sighs dramatically. "Such a shame. You would've thought I raised a smarter girl."

"Mom!" Anastasia overhears her mother's cheeky comment. "Just get in the SUV!"

Christian takes Carla's bag from her and Carla hooks her arm into her daughter's, walking to the car behind the men.

"So chivalrous, too. He's such a gentleman, Ana. He'd be such a great son-in-law…"

Anastasia rolls her eyes. "Mom. Don't start."

"Oh, fine. I'll just let you ruin your own life while I stand on the sidelines saying I told you so."

"Thank you." Anastasia smiles at her mother and opens the door for her while the men put the luggage in the back.

"You're infuriating." Her mother says matter-of-factly. She knows that Christian and Anastasia would be so good together. She doesn't understand why it's such a struggle between the two of them. It's obvious they're meant to be together.

"Well, I learned from the best." Anastasia shuts the door and climbs in the passenger's seat to wait for the men.

Once the men climb into the SUV and secure their seat belts, they head back to Anastasia's to unload their belongings before dinner.

"So, what will it be for your last supper?" Ray asks, teasing. Carla smacks her husband for his morbid sense of humor while Anastasia and Christian laugh.

XxXxXx

Once her parents are set up in the guest bedroom for the night, Anastasia climbs into her own to try to get some sleep. They've made it an early night, because she has to check-in to the hospital at 5:00 am.

Tomorrow is such a big day for her. Not only will be she be having surgery, but she'll also find out if it's even possible for her to carry her own children. It's been such an emotional rollercoaster for her. A part of her feels like it's selfish for wanting to carry her own children so badly. She should be relieved that she's okay and that she'll live a relatively healthy life after this, but she can't help it. She finds herself pouting, her heart aching, at the thought of not carrying a child. She knows that adoption is always an option...an option she's always considered, but she thought that she'd have at least one biological child. She's heard many women talk about how beautiful of an experience pregnancy is and she desires more than anything to carry her own. She knows that if she can't, then she'll adopt someday. She sees no point in paying someone else to carry her child when she could use the money to adopt a child who is motherless now.

She's found that blood has little to no worth in many relationships these days. Her father, Ray, isn't her biological father, but he's taken care of her like she was made from him, anyway. All the Grey children are adopted and Grace and Carrick have more love for those children than many biological parents have for their own. Adoption is definitely a possibility if she doesn't get the news she wants. She will love that child with everything she has. She knows this.

 _Why does carrying her own child have to be so important? Why can't she just let it go?_

There's a knock on her door, pulling her out of her own pity party. Her mother sticks her head in and Anastasia gives her a small smile.

"I couldn't sleep." Carla admits, slipping into her room and closing the door behind her. "Your father is snoring, which just makes it all the more infuriating that I can't. I thought about poking him in the ribs to wake him up, but decided that keeping the peace is more important."

Anastasia giggles at her mom and slides over in bed. "Come lay with me. I'll try not to snore."

Carla climbs into bed with her daughter and gets comfortable beside her.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow, Ana?"

"Honestly? Nervous."

Carla sighs. "That's completely understandable, baby. You've got so much on your plate already. I worry about you."

"I know, Mom."

"You're a strong woman, I know, but I'm your mom. I can't help it."

Anastasia turns on her side toward her mother and takes her hand, squeezing it. "I know you do it out of love, Mom. It's alright."

"Have you thought about what you're going to do after this? Are you going to try?"

Anastasia chews her lip. She hasn't told either of her parents, yet. "Yes, I think so. There's a sperm bank in Seattle I thought I'd check out when I feel better. I mean, if I-"

"Don't talk that way. I'm sure you'll be fine. If they think it's a time issue, then I'll support you 100%. I'll be here whenever I can and you can call me whenever you have questions about pregnancy or babies. You'll be a great mom. You deserve this, Ana. You deserve a baby of your own."

Anastasia wipes a tear off her own cheek. "Thank you, Mom."

"Oh, Ana. Come here." Carla opens her arm and Anastasia cuddles closer, resting her head on the front of her mother's shoulder while Carla smooths her hair. "Tomorrow is going to be very scary, but just remember that your dad and I will be there to support you. Christian, too. You've got so many people who love you and support you. Everything will go great. You'll see."

XxXxXx

"Alright, Anastasia. We're going to take you back for surgery, now."

Carla leans down and kisses Anastasia's forehead. "Love you, Ana. I'll be right here when you wake up, okay? It'll be over before you know it."

Ray is next and he leans down to kiss her cheek. "I love you, babygirl." He clears his throat and Anastasia smiles.

"Everything will be okay, Dad. No reason to start the waterworks."

Her father gives her a playful scowl and steps back to wrap an arm around his wife.

It's Christian's turn and he doesn't risk it. He leans down and presses his lips to her own. He wants this last bit of connection before she gets taken away.

"Promise me that you'll be okay."

She smiles. "I promise, Christian. Just relax, okay. Do some work while I'm gone." She gives him a wink and he gives her a soft smile and ducks down again to kiss her once more.

"Can't break the promise now, Steele."

She shakes her head. "I won't."

The nurse gives her a surgery cap to put over her hair and then she's pushed out of her room and toward the OR doors. She knows she should be nervous, but the nurse has given her something to settle her nerves, so she's feeling pretty calm now.

The others, on the other hand, are a nervous wreck. Christian watches from the doorway as they push his best friend down the hall. He knows that the surgery will be laparoscopic, so she'll only have a few inch long scars on her abdomen, but it does little to calm his nerves.

"Christian, why don't you come sit with us." Carla calls from inside the room, making him realize he's still staring even though she's gone.

He leaves the doorway and has a seat in one of the chairs. Her parents already have the television turned onto the channel that updates the family on the progress. There are six different rows with different statuses, but the only one they need to worry about is the row that's labeled with her room number. Because of HIPAA regulation, the names cannot be displayed, but the room number can. At the moment it shows Anastasia as red, which means that she's still waiting to go into surgery. _The doctor must not be ready, yet._

Carla finds herself bouncing both legs as she stares at the television. Her daughter hasn't even gone under the knife, yet, and all she wants to do is cry into her husbands shoulder. She's determined to fight it as long as she can, wanting to be strong for her baby. Anastasia is their only daughter and their whole world. If something were to happen to Anastasia, she doesn't think she could cope through it. She made the mistake of reading what could happen and she is just sick over what complications could come from this.

At the moment, Ray finds himself pretty numb. There is a part of him that feels like this isn't happening. He can't wrap his head around the fact that his Annie has to go through this. She's never done anything to deserve such a prognosis, but he knows that bad things happen to good people all the time. There is no rhyme or reason to why things happen and he shouldn't take it personally, but he does. She's worked hard her whole life. She was a straight A student, the valedictorian of her high school, third in line for her university, and has worked her ass off in the career world to make herself senior editor by the time she hit twenty-five. He couldn't have asked for a better daughter. She's driven, respectful, and thoughtful.

"She's turned yellow!" Carla states, nervously. Yellow means that she's officially on the operating table. The three of them sit in silence and stare at the television.

"It's not going to turn any faster with us staring at it." Ray mentions when his eyes start to go cross-eyed. He presses his palms into his eye sockets and rubs his eyes.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Carla snaps.

Ray sighs, dropping his hands. "Just relax, honey. Why don't we walk down and get a coffee?"

Carla shakes her head. "I am not leaving. What if something happens while we're gone?"

"Panicking is not the answer, Carla. We're all worried about Annie, but she'll be okay." Ray rubs his wife's shoulders.

"I'll call your cell if anything happens." Christian offers, knowing there is no way he'll be stepping out of the room until Anastasia is back and resting comfortably.

Ray nods and smiles. "Thank you, Christian. See, Carla? Everything will be fine. Let's go take a walk."

XxXxXx

Christian paces in Anastasia's room, looking at the television every time he turns. It's been two hours and the surgery should have been done by now.

The nurse enters her room and her parents both jump off of the couch, looking for answers.

"Where is she?"

"Is she okay?"

The nurse gives the three of them a smile, relieving their worry, but just barely.

"Anastasia is fine. It is worse than what they thought it'd be, so it's taking the doctor a little longer to remove what he can. She should be done in about a half an hour or so."

Everyone exhales, relieved that the news isn't worse.

"Does the doctor think he can get it all?" Carla asks, wanting some clue to the probability of Anastasia being able to carry her own children.

"I'm not sure, Mrs. Steele. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the doctor comes to speak with all of you."

Carla's shoulders sag in disappointment. _At least Anastasia is_ _okay._ She was just hoping to be able to give her daughter some good news.

Ray wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure everything will be fine. Let's have a seat and wait for our girl."

Christian chews on his thumbnail while he keeps a close look on the television and the clock. _Twenty-five minutes._ It shouldn't be much longer. This has been the longest three hours of his life.

His eyes find the television again and her room number, 205, turns from yellow to green. He blinks a few times, thinking he's seeing things.

"She's out!" Carla jumps out of her seat and looks at the television closer, like it's going to tell her more.

XxXxXx

Anastasia is rolled out of the OR recovery and back to her room, where her three loved ones are all waiting impatiently.

"Anastasia is drowsy and will be for awhile. She's just now coming out of anesthesia and she has some strong pain medication, so she might not remember much of what you say and might act a little silly." The nurse explains, getting Anastasia hooked up to her blood pressure cuff and pulse-oximeter.

"Ana...Ana, baby? Can you hear me?" Carla leans over her, stroking her hair.

Anastasia groans and her eyes flutter open. "Mom?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Did everything go okay? Do I still have everything?" Her hands come up to grope her abdomen, but her mother grabs her hands.

"Don't touch, baby. Everything is fine. You did great." Carla kisses her forehead and steps back so that Ray can see her.

"Dad?"

He smiles.

"When did you get so old?" She reaches up to poke at his eye wrinkle and he chuckles.

"Nice to see you, too, Annie. Christian's here."

Her eyebrows knit together. "Christian? Where?" She turns her head the opposite direction and Christian smiles down at her.

"Hey, love."

She gives him a smile and blinks slowly. "Hello there, handsome." Her eyes drag up and down his body. "Wanna give me a sponge bath?"

Christian laughs. "I'll have to take a rain check."

"Come closer."

His eyebrows shoot up. "You aren't going to bite me or anything, are you?"

She giggles. "I just want to see you."

He leans in and she reaches up to cup his face, pulling him closer. "Look at that face! I get to look at this every day? I am one lucky girl. Can I take you home?"

"You are a mess." Christian tells her, amused. "Why don't you relax and sleep it off a little?" He encourages, but Anastasia notices the pulse-oximeter on her finger and gets distracted.

She looks it over, turning her finger back and forth as she stares at it. A smile forms on her face and then she lifts it towards Christian's face. "E.T. phone home."

"Oh, my god. Our child is high as a kite." Ray states, shaking his head. "She'll never remember this. Maybe we should tape it."

Carla smacks her husband's stomach. "Oh, Ray! Don't be ridiculous. Ana, baby, you need to get some rest. Why don't you relax and close your eyes. We aren't going anywhere."

Anastasia's machine beeps, scaring her. "What is that? Did my heart stop? Am I dead?"

Christian rubs his face.

"Ana…" He tries to get her attention, but she's too busy looking for the source of the beeping.

"I'm dying!" She looks at Christian with wide eyes.

"Ana...Ana, listen to me." He cups her face and she blinks up at him. "Are you listening?"

She smiles up at him. "You're handsome. Are you dead, too?"

He does his best not to laugh. "Ana...listen to me."

"Kiss me." She puckers her lips and tries to lift her head off the pillow.

He shakes his head and grabs her shoulders, pinning her down.

"Oh, kinky!" She gives him a salacious grin.

Ignoring her, Christian releases her shoulders. "If you lay back and close your eyes, I'll kiss you. You've got to promise to sleep, though."

"But Christian…" She whines.

"Lay back." He commands, making her sink down in her bed. "Good girl. Now close your eyes." She takes one last look at him and then squeezes her eyes shut. "Thank you, Ana. Now, go to sleep."

Unfortunately, she doesn't forget their deal and she puckers her lips while her eyes are squeezed shut. He lets out a sigh and shakes his head before ducking down to peck her lips.

She hums. "Wonderful. Was it good for you?"

 _Oh, for pity's sake!_ "Goodnight, Anastasia." His tone is flat.

"Goodnight, handsome. Maybe when I wake up we can kick out the parentals and you can help me make that baby." She tries to pry her eyes open to wiggle her eyebrows, but fails miserably.

Less than a minute later, she begins to snore.

Carla eyes Christian, who is now sitting in the chair right next to Anastasia's bed, holding her hand while he smooths her hair out of her face. A part of her hopes that Anastasia remembers what she's said so that she seriously considers asking Christian to be the sperm donor. The two have such a beautiful relationship and she knows that they'd co-parent so well. Having a baby together might make them realize just how perfect they are for each other. She also knows that there is no point in trying to convince Anastasia to ask Christian. She hasn't taken any of the advice that she's given her and a part of her worries that Anastasia might refuse to even consider Christian as a donor if her mother is the one who mentions it.

To Carla, it's visible that her daughter is attracted to Christian. The way she reacted to him today shows that much. It's obvious how Christian feels about her daughter. No man would go through everything he's gone through for someone who's just a friend. He was such a wreck today while she was in surgery. The poor boy couldn't keep still. His hair is a mess from yanking on it and his bottom lip is almost raw from chewing on it. _He loves her._ He might not realize it right now, but he does. Carla just has to hope that he realizes it before Anastasia becomes pregnant with a donor's child instead of his.

XxXxXx

There's a knock on the door and the surgeon slips in.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Daniels." He introduces himself to the others before having a seat to speak to Anastasia.

"Anastasia, how are you feeling?"

Anastasia is sitting up in bed with a cup of ice water on her tray. She woke up about twenty minutes back, feeling and acting much better than she had after her surgery.

"I'm good. Drowsy. Sore. But, overall, good."

He smiles and nods. "Good, that's good. The surgery went well, although there was more build-up and scarring than we originally thought. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to remove some of the scarring."

Anastasia frowns. "What does that mean? Will I be able to have children?"

He licks his lips. "There is still a chance that you can, yes. If I were you though, I wouldn't wait too long. The longer you wait, the lower your chances are at successfully carrying your own. The scarring that is left is still more severe than others we see before the surgery. The longer you wait, the more endometrial tissue will build up and the more scarring you'll have."

"So, if I start now, what are my chances?" Anastasia bites her lip.

He sighs and looks down. "It's hard to say, but if I had to guess, I'd say 60% maybe?"

Carla smiles. "More than half. That's good news."

Unfortunately, Anastasia doesn't feel as hopeful as her mother. It isn't much better than 50/50 in her eyes.

She gives the doctor a small smile and thanks him.

"I know that this is a scary situation, Anastasia, but everything will work out in the end. Now, if you're feeling alright, you'll be able to go home today. You can shower tomorrow, but you'll be off work for another week at least. Don't pick up anything over five pounds and stay off your feet when you can. The nurse will give you a list of what to do and what not to do when you're discharged. I'll see you next Friday for your follow-up and we'll decide if you can go back to work then."

XxXxXx

Anastasia gets wheeled down to the car in a wheelchair while Christian runs ahead to get the valet to bring the car around.

The nurse is just pushing Anastasia out of the doors when the GMC is pulled up to the front. The valet climbs out of the car and Christian hands him a tip and takes the keys.

Anastasia slowly stands from her wheelchair, feeling a pulling on her lower stomach. Her arm clutches her lower stomach as she stands, bent over a little, scared that she'll tear something if she stands straight. Carla is at her side immediately while Ray puts her belongings in the back.

"Here, honey, let me help you to the car." It's only a few steps, but those steps are more than enough for Anastasia. Carla opens the passenger's side door for Anastasia and she looks at the seat, frowning. It's the first time that she regrets getting a larger car. The thought of having to use her abdominal muscles to climb into the vehicle makes her cringe.

"I...I don't know if I can…" She tries to put a foot up, but whimpers at the pulling sensation. She immediately worries that she'll tear something inside and bleed to death internally.

Seeing her struggle, Christian hustles over to the passenger's side and politely scoots Carla out of the way.

"Ana, let me help you. It's safer."

Her shoulders sag in relief. "Yes, thank you, Christian."

Picking her up as gently as he can, he slips her into the passenger's seat. She gives him a soft smile and he buckles her in while he's there, making sure it's secure.

"Does it pass inspection, Grey?" She cocks an eyebrow at him.

"I think I liked it better when you were drugged up. I like handsome much better."

Her eyebrows knit together. "What?"

Grinning, he takes a step back. "Watch your fingers." He quickly shuts the door, leaving Anastasia in the passenger's seat confused. _What the hell happened while she was under sedation?_

Once they reach Anastasia's apartment, she goes straight to bed. She's still exhausted from the anesthesia and pain medication, so the comfort and warmth of her bed is too inviting for her to ignore.

As thoughtful as ever, Gail brings dinner to the Steele's and Christian, just staying long enough to fix the table. Christian asks her to stay, but she declines. He figures that she has plans with Taylor since he's off for the night, so he doesn't press her on it.

At 8:30 pm, Christian notices that Anastasia's parents are exhausted and urges them to bed, promising to check on Anastasia after he cleans up the mess in the kitchen. It takes him awhile to find where everything goes, but he manages without much noise and heads towards Anastasia's room to check on her.

When he opens her door, he sees that the nightstand lamp is still on, but Anastasia is sleeping peacefully. She's snoring lightly like she was earlier, making him smile. The anesthesia seems to be giving her some much needed deep sleep.

He quietly makes his way over to her lamp and turns off the light. He turns to leave her room, but he hears her move.

"Christian?"

He winces. He hadn't meant to wake her.

"Yes, love. It's me. Go back to sleep." He whispers in the dark.

"Will you stay with me? Just for tonight?" Anastasia feels rather needy. It's been an emotional few days for her and having Christian close always makes her feel better.

He exhales. "Of course, Ana." He makes his way to the opposite side of the bed and slips off shoes and his clothes, leaving on just his boxer-briefs. He slips in beside her and she reaches over to take his hand.

"Thank you, Christian." She knows she's thanked him about a dozen times today, but she doesn't know how else to express her gratitude. Christian is her guardian angel. He's so selfless and takes such wonderful care of her. He'd do anything for her. She knows that there is nothing that she could ever do to repay him for everything he's done for her. Hopefully, he knows that she would do the same for him. She'd stand by him through anything.

"Thank you for asking me, Ana." He really didn't want to go home and he wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the couch, but he would have...for her. He just wants to make sure she's alright.

She gives him a sweet smile, a smile he's noticed that she only reserves for him, before she allows her heavy eyelids to close and she succumbs to sleep.

Christian watches her eyes flutter close and takes a minute to study her face. Her cheeks are warm, tinged pink from the deep sleep, her lips are dry and chapped from the anesthesia, but they're still the same pink color as the pink in the Wilton rainbow bubble gum she use to love to get out of the machine for a quarter. Her hair that was back in a neat ponytail has now escaped the elastic and is framing her face in a brunette halo mess. Her lashes are as dark as they've ever been, always seeming darker than they probably are thanks to her ivory skin. At the moment, she's a bit of a mess, but she's safe, she's whole, and she's got something to look forward to.

He knows that her life isn't going as planned, but she did receive some good news today and she'll be a mother before she knows it. Her dreams might be going a bit backwards than she thought...he's sure she expected to find a man and fall in love before becoming a mother... but life throws a wrench every once in awhile, and he knows she'll make do with what she's been thrown and thrive as mother.

For now, they'll concentrate on her recovery. He'll be there every step of the way, no matter how uncomfortable he is or how much the word sperm donor makes his stomach churn. He'll be the acting father no matter who the lucky bastard is who gets to father her child.

 _He'll be there. No matter what._

 **A/N: I apologize for forgetting to add the author's note about the teaser last time. This time, I didn't forget! If you'd like a teaser for the next chapter, let me know.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know this chapter isn't as long as the others, but I didn't want to move further, yet.**

It's Anastasia's first day back to work since her surgery and she's feeling pretty good. The morning has been hectic considering she's been gone for a couple weeks, but a couple of meetings and a conversation with her personal assistant has brought her up to date. They've signed a new author and Anastasia is eager to meet him and see what he has in store. After lunch she'll dive into the sample manuscript that convinced the fiction editor to sign him, but right now it's lunch and the only thing she can think about is the Seattle Sperm Bank.

Originally, she had been worried that finding a donor she liked would be hard, but upon further inspection, she's realized that it will be easier than she thought. The website has a search for candidates that a person can search from and it includes race, ethnicity, eye color, hair color, height, weight, blood type, and even Jewish ancestry. It all makes her head spin.

 _What does she want?_

Does she want a man that has similar looks to her? Does she want a mixed child? Maybe one that has a diverse background?

As she stares at the search, she drums her fingers. _How is she going to narrow it down?_

Christian did say that he could be the acting father of the baby. Maybe it'd help if it looked kind of like him? Should she search for a tall man with gray eyes? Maybe light brown or red hair? Christian's hair is a dark, but has a red tint to it. It is beautiful in the sunlight. _What color would that be considered?_

Deciding on light brown, she does her initial search and a few donors pop up. One man states that he's 6'5 and she immediately nixes that one, deciding that since she's not very tall for a woman that a slightly shorter donor would be better.

She clicks on a man that states he has gray eyes and light brown hair, is 6'1 and 180 lbs. It states that he's currently studying marketing at a university. _Young._

She rolls her eyes and mentally admonishes herself. These men are offering their sperm to give women like her a chance to have a child. It shouldn't matter how old they are. It isn't as if they'll actually be fathering the child. _It's just a donor._

When the page loads, she immediately gets a hard stop. _She has to make a profile._ She hurries to make a profile and sees that to view each profile, is a fee. A person can pay for each profile or a person can pay for a full access pass to every profile. She decides to dive in and just buy the full access pass.

Finally, the profile of the man she clicked on earlier pops up and there's a full page on his background, his likes, dislikes, pet peeves, etc. _Is this a dating site?_ The donor's page also contains two photos of him when he was a child. She stares at them, trying to picture herself having a child that looks similar.

"What are you doing?"

Anastasia startles.

Christian is standing in the doorway of her office while he watches her stare at her computer with interest. She's so captivated by whatever is on the screen, that she doesn't even realize that he's there.

When she almost falls out of her chair, Christian snickers.

"Did I catch sweet, little Ana looking at something naughty online?" He wiggles his eyebrows and shuts the door behind him.

She rolls her eyes. "No, Christian. I'm doing some research. Trying to pick a donor."

His ears perk up. "Really?" He doesn't spend any time making his way over to her desk and moves her computer chair back so he can see.

"I can't see." _He's too tall._ He plops down in her lap, making her laugh.

"Pardon me!"

He looks over his shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you sitting here?"

"You're a menace."

"That's old news." He counters, looking over the information on the screen. "Is this the guy you picked?"

Anastasia sighs and rests her forehead against his upper back. "I don't know. It's so hard. Can't you just pick one for me?"

Christian isn't sure that he's comfortable with that. He definitely doesn't want to be responsible for picking a donor if the child ends up with some type of problem.

"I can help you narrow it down, love, but it's something you've got to pick. It's your child."

He scrolls down to the bottom and sees that there is an audio recording from the man. He hits play and they listen.

"Oh, he sounds nice." Anastasia picks her head up and peeks over his shoulder to try and get a glimpse of the screen, even though she can't see anything. His voice is a gravely sounding baritone. _Masculine._

Christian looks over his ancestry and sees that the man has an Irish and German background.

"How do you know this guy isn't some schizophrenic or something? You know that it's genetic, right?"

Anastasia frowns. "They have to list everything in their background. They even do a background check."

"That doesn't mean that it would show his stints in the psych ward or his prescription list. What happens if he's decided to lie and he does have something serious?" Christian doesn't feel right about her picking some random man's sperm. He wonders if he could get the true identity of the man and do a background check of his own.

"That's a small chance, Christian. What am I supposed to do? I need a sperm donor. It isn't like I can go around to men that I know and ask if they'll donate for me."

Christian stands and has a seat on her desk in front of her. He wants to be able to speak with her face-to-face. _It's important._ This conversation is beyond important.

"Why not?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "Why not? Because it'd be weird! I wouldn't even know who to ask!"

Suddenly, this conversation has become so much more nerve wracking to him. He knows exactly who she should ask. _It's obvious who would be the perfect sperm donor._ Still, he's nervous about how to approach her. He chews his lip, uncertain. Will she laugh in his face? Will she demand that he leave?

 _What if it ruins their friendship?_

He's told himself that this will only make their bond stronger, but he isn't sure that Anastasia will see it that way.

"See, Christian? I don't have any other choice. I need this sperm donor."

He exhales and rubs his palms together, finding his courage.

"What about me?"

She stares up at him, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping open like a fish. _She's speechless._ This is something that she never expected.

"Wha-wha-" She coughs, her throat suddenly dry. "What?" Her words are strangled.

"Why can't I be your sperm donor?"

She sits back in her computer chair and holds her head. "I...wow. I think...I just need a second." There are so many thoughts and so many emotions running through her, she needs some time to navigate this.

Christian sits there, stone still, trying to wait patiently. He looks cool, calm, and collected as he sits, but on the inside it's chaos. _He shouldn't have said anything._ He knows if he didn't though, he might regret it for the rest of his life. _She should make this decision on her own._ But, she asked for help didn't she? This is just his way of helping. He's relatively sane, has good looks, is financially stable, and will be around to father the child. _What's so bad about that?_

She sits up straight in her chair and smooths her hair down. "Okay, let's talk through this."

He nods. "Okay." He's anxious to hear what she has to say.

"I appreciate you being so kind, but you've got to look at the bigger picture here, Christian. This is a lifetime commitment. It seems fine now, but what happens when you find a girl you want to marry? How is she going to deal with this? You'll want a family with her, not me. What if you jump into this whole fathering deal, but then decide you don't have time for the child because you want to move on with your wife? What if you regret it? It isn't like we can go back once it's done. You can't erase a child, Christian. You can't change genetics."

Christian grips the edge of the desk. "I've thought about this, Ana. Over the last few days, I've thought about it a lot. It isn't something I just came up with."

Her eyebrows knit together. "You've thought about this?" _Why didn't he mention this before?_

He nods. "I wanted to go over every situation in my head before I spoke with you. I want to be your donor. Like I told you weeks ago...I'll be the acting father even if I'm not the donor, so why shouldn't I be the true father? Any woman I date will know that I have a child with you. If they're not okay with it, then it's not meant to be.

"I've got commitment issues already, Anastasia...at least, when it comes to women. This might be the only chance I have to have my own child. We're best friends. We're going to be in each other's lives forever. This is a chance for both of us to have a child. This is the right decision. I know it. The child deserves to have both parents. I swear to you that this child will be my number one priority. I want this, Ana... _hell!_ Maybe as much as you do."

Anastasia's quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in. "But, what if it ruins our friendship? What if we both have different opinions on how to parent and it tears us apart? What if we find that coparenting is something that we can't handle together?"

He shakes his head. _There's no way that would ever happen._ "We'd compromise, Ana. I can only see this child making our bond stronger. You are the most important woman in my life. That isn't going to change. Ever." There is finality in his voice, but still, Anastasia doesn't know what to think.

"Come on, Ana...just...just think about it before you answer. If you decide against it, then I'll have to respect your decision. I'll still be an active participant and will be the father figure to the child. Just consider this option. Promise me."

She chews her lip and nods. "Okay, I promise."

He gives her a relieved smile and leans down to press his lips to hers. "Sealed."

Anastasia tucks her hair behind her ear. "I want you to know that I appreciate your offering either way. It's such a selfless gift your willing to give me. It's just such a shock to my system. I need some time to think it over once the shock subsides."

He grins. "It's not completely selfless. I want a child, too, you know."

"I never knew you wanted children, Christian." This is news to her.

Christian shrugs. "I think it'd be nice to have a child or two. With my touch issue, I just figured having a long term relationship with a woman was out of the question, so kids were never something I thought I'd end up with." _This is a perfect situation for them. He just wished she could see it that way._ Hopefully, soon, she will.

"Plus... how fucking cute would our kid be?" He adds, trying to make the air in the room feel a little lighter.

His comment does its job. Anastasia laughs.

"Listen, love. I hadn't meant to bring this up in such a public setting. I meant to have a serious talk with you when we were alone and you had more time to think about it."

Christian did happen to have bad timing. She's already behind on her work as it is and now she'll have to go through the rest of the workday with this swirling in her head. Originally, she had thought that picking a donor from the website was going to be the hardest part, but now she realizes she's in an even bigger predicament. She is going to think long and hard about the situation. This is the biggest decision of her life thus far.

 _What is a woman to do?_

"I can practically smell your brain overheating, Ana. Stow all your worries and concerns for now and come to lunch with me. I'm starved."

 _Lunch?_ He wants to eat? _Now?_

Anastasia's appetite is now non-existent. The churning in her stomach makes her want to vomit.

Christian hates that Anastasia is being so damn quiet. He wants to punish himself for bringing it up at the wrong time. He knows that she is probably not hungry...especially after he unloaded this on her...but he isn't going to give her a choice.

"Come on. Up you go." He grabs her arms and pulls her into a standing position. "You're going to come with me to lunch and you're going to sit there and like it. I came all the way over here to eat with you and you're going to eat, damn it."

"But Christian…" She digs her heels in when he tries to pull her out the door.

"No buts, Ana. Now, this can happen one of two ways. You can walk out of here like an adult or I can carry you out like a child, kicking and screaming."

She eyes him and puts her hands on her hips, challenging him. "You wouldn't." She knows he wouldn't risk her job for something as petty as a lunch date.

Deciding to change tactics, he eyes her cell on her desk and grabs it.

"What are you doing?" She takes a step forward as he steps back.

"Your phone and handbag are heading out the door. I suggest you follow." He turns and makes his way towards the door, grabbing her bag off the hook on the way out.

Anastasia stands there, tapping her foot. _Surely, he wouldn't just…_

She sees him disappear around the corner and her arms fall to her sides as she rushes after him.

Hearing her coming up behind him, he turns and gives her a smile. He knew that he won this round. Both of them are stubborn, but he's learned ways to get his way every now and then.

She scowls at him and rips her phone and bag out of his hands. "Thief."

Hearing the word she mutters, he chuckles and throws his arm around her neck. "You are mistaken, my dear. I was simply borrowing it."

"You play dirty."

He nods. "It's effective."

XxXxXx

"How's it feel coming back to work?"

Anastasia sighs and slumps in her chair at the sushi restaurant. "It feels good to be back, but there is so much I've missed...so much I have to do in such little time." Her brain is on overload.

Christian gives her an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you'll catch up quickly." He's also sure that she's going to be a bear to deal with in the meantime. Whenever his best friend feels overwhelmed with something, she tends to be irritable and usually, he happens to be the main target. _Why the hell did he spring the donor thing on her today?_ Of all days, he does it when she's feeling out of control and overwhelmed with everything. _Smooth, Grey._ She'll probably never say yes, now.

"I hope so." Anastasia hates feeling like she's behind. She wants to excel in her career, but her health has definitely hindered her with doing so.

She pours herself some tea and adds a little bit of milk, hoping that it'll help with the migraine that's slowly creeping up on her.

"How's work going for you?" Anastasia asks.

"Eh." He shrugs. "Not the greatest."

Her eyebrows knit together and she looks across the table at Christian. "Why?" Usually, he enjoys talking about work. He loves what he does, even though she finds it a little boring... at least to listen to.

"We've been looking for another shipyard, and unfortunately Ros has looked into Detroit and found a promising lead." He sighs. "You know how I feel about Detroit." _He hates it._

"Oh…" She knows too well how he feels about Detroit. Usually the word accompanies a few colorful words when it comes from his mouth. "What are you going to do?"

"I've tried to talk her out of it, but I can't give her a good reason… at least business wise… to pull out of it."

Anastasia licks her lips. "That's such an unfortunate coincidence, Christian. I'm sorry that you have to deal with it. Is it at least going to be an easy acquisition?"

"Who the hell knows. We're still talking numbers. Of course, they want an astronomically high amount to hand the yard over to GEH, but Ros is confident she can talk them down. We'll see." He refuses to pay the amount the assholes asked for. He doesn't need it _that_ badly. He'll find another somewhere else. Somewhere that isn't tainted with miserable memories.

"Ros can be very persuasive. I'm sure she can get you a good deal." Ros has a way of sweet talking her way through any conversation. Anastasia hopes that she can do it quickly and that Christian won't have to deal with much of the transfer.

"When do you see the doctor?" Christian decides to change the subject. Just the word 'Detroit' makes his stomach sour. He wishes he could just erase all memory of everything before he was four years old.

"After I get my period this month." Anastasia sighs. "I'm a little nervous. There's just so much to do. I've been researching it and I have to take so many shots and pills and go to the doctor for ultrasounds every few days before they extract my eggs. It's a lot to take in at once."

"Why don't I go with you?" Christian offers, hoping she'll be open to the idea. "If there is a lot of information to take in, then maybe having another person there will help. I can help make sense of everything."

Anastasia chews her lip, weighing her options. _It would be nice having support there with her._

"Alright." She decides. "If you're sure."

Christian smiles. "I'm sure."

"Thank you, Christian." She gives him a smile. "I don't know how I could ever repay you for all of this. You're my rock."

Christian snorts. "Well, I'll tell you what. If it makes you feel better, you can come with me to my next doctor's appointment and when they check my prostate, I'll let you hold my hand."

She giggles. "Deal."

XxXxXx

Anastasia climbs in bed after an exhausting day. She's mentally and physically exhausted, but her mind is in overdrive. It keeps going back to the conversation that she had with Christian.

 _He wants to be the donor._

She was so shocked when he mentioned it that the shock is still reverberating through her system a bit.

 _Christian wants to be the donor._

She keeps saying it in her head, but for some reason, she can't grasp the concept.

 _Won't it be weird for them?_

Anastasia would be having Christian's baby. _Weird._ Definitely weird. _How would they even begin to explain this to their families?_ How does one explain that they aren't romantically involved, but are having a child together? _How would they take it?_ She knows that her mother is already pulling for the two of them to get together. She doesn't want anyone to take this _arrangement_ the wrong way. Filling them will false hope will only complicate things.

On the other hand, Christian does seem to have great genes. He's tall and handsome, has a high metabolism, is brilliant as can be, and rarely gets sick. She knows he doesn't have any mental health issues or physical disabilities.

 _He seems eager._

Maybe he does want the baby as much as she does. His sperm would be extremely easy to get, not to mention much cheaper. She wouldn't have to dole out $800.00 for a vial of sperm. That's $800.00 more she can put into savings for the baby.

Instead of raising the baby alone, the baby would have a relationship with both parents instead of just her. With two incomes, the child would be financially stable and if something happened to Anastasia, she wouldn't have to worry where the child might end up.

 _Christian would be a great father._

He's always had a natural instinct to protect and take care of the people around him and she's sure that his instinct would only grow and flourish more than it already has.

Still, carrying Christian's child will only complicate things. She doesn't want him to feel an unnecessary responsibility towards her while she is pregnant. They do spend a lot of time together, but she doesn't want him to feel like it's his duty to take care of her just because of this.

There's also the issue of dating. Of course, she'd want to meet Christian's significant other before this person would meet their child and she knows that Christian would probably feel the same way. _What if they don't like the significant other?_ If this issue were to pop up, it could cause so much strife between the two of them.

What if Christian gets married and decides that he wants a family of his own? How would the child feel if he or she had to watch from the sidelines while the father plays family with another woman and other children? What if that woman treated Anastasia's child differently than she treated her own?

Even if Christian never gets married or has a family of his own, how are they going to coparent? What if they don't see eye-to-eye in parenting? What if his parenting style is completely different than hers? She doesn't want the child to feel like they have to act differently, depending on who they're with. _That's too much pressure for any child._

 _But..._

 _Christian did say that they'd find a way to compromise._

They are both so stubborn, but maybe this child will soften both of them up. Maybe they'll both learn to compromise. Christian seems more than willing to do so.

 _He said it'd make their bond stronger._

Perhaps it will. She already feels so close and so comfortable with him, but maybe this will solidify their friendship. This would be such a lovely bonding experience for both of them. Christian has been nothing, but completely supportive through this whole experience. He's always been here for her, no matter what. _He wants this._ Maybe it is the right decision.

 _Maybe._

Anastasia feels her drowsiness taking over and decides to sleep on it. _Maybe she'll come up with an answer in the morning._ Right now, there are too many maybes to make the right decision. She'll re-evaluate this in the morning.

She just hopes that Christian will give her some time to think it over.

 **Let me know if you want a teaser.**


	7. Chapter 7

Anastasia spends her first week back to work catching up on everything she has missed over the last weeks. While she has been gone the publishing company signed three new authors; a surprising number for only being gone three weeks. She has the three contracts on her desk and she has to read over each one and sign it off before the contracts are official. The last two contracts were pretty straight forward, but this last one is a little more difficult. She keeps rereading over the details, trying to decide what to do. She knows she has to edit it somewhat, but she hasn't decided how. _Maybe she should read the manuscript again._

The new up and coming author, Jack Hyde, has given them a sample of his writing, which is about vampires and werewolves. Mr. Hyde wants an astronomical amount of copies run through the printer for the first batch and Anastasia knows that there is no way that she'll agree to that amount. The confidence of this writer has left a bad taste in her mouth. His cockiness and willingness to spend the publishing's money is beyond unprofessional and a part of her wants to deny it from the start. There are so many books coming out in this genre at the moment, that she isn't even sure if it's actually going to sell at all. She can't afford not to make revenue off of this contract. _Her job depends on it._

SIP is a newer publishing company and they're just starting to make a name for themselves around Seattle. To stay afloat, they really need to pick and choose who they sign and how much money they dump into each investment. Mr. Roach, the owner, hired Anastasia because she has an eye for catching these types of mistakes and she refuses to ruin her reputation over one cocky asshole who refuses to compromise with the publisher.

Anastasia has been so busy that she hasn't had much time for Christian, but they have been keeping in touch via text… although, it's been mostly him nagging her about remembering to take food breaks. At first she was annoyed by it, but Christian knows her too well and he knows that she forgets to eat when she's busy. She doesn't need much food to function, but with working such hours she's found that she needs more fuel than normal to keep her brain from fogging. By Friday, she realizes that she needs his distractions to give her mind a break and to refuel. It's a first, but she thanks him for reminding her to eat. She knows that it'll just cause him to nag her about eating more often, but she knows he only has her best interest at heart. She just hopes that he won't find many opportunities to nag her about it.

Although Christian has kept contact via text, but hasn't tried to call her or pressure her to even see him. She appreciates that he has given her the space she needs to get through the work she's missed and to think about his offer from Monday. He's probably taking refuge at home while she works through the stress at work; she knows she's irritable when she's this stressed and Christian seems to know how to hit every single one of her nerves during stressful times. What he's doing is hiding from his bitchy best friend.

She's so moved by Christian's willingness to help during her difficult situation, that she's spent over an hour on the internet yesterday looking for a thank you gift. She wanted to find him something unique and, luckily, she was able to. She had it overnighted and she's hoping that it'll be at the concierge desk when she gets home.

Taking a break, she decides to ring Christian.

"Hey, Ana."

She smiles at his voice. _She's missed her best friend._

"Hey, yourself."

"Did you eat lunch today?"

She giggles. "I was going to say that I've missed you, but suddenly, I'm not sure."

Christian rolls his eyes at her from his desk at Grey House. "That doesn't answer my question, Anastasia."

Sighing, she tells him she has.

"Good."

"I was thinking that instead of making you nag me again about eating, that we could have dinner at your place tonight. You too busy?"

"For you? Never. I'll tell Gail it'll be dinner for two."

She grins, relieved. She has been worried that he'd be a little irritable with her for their lack of communication this week. "Great. I'll see you tonight. Is six-thirty okay?"

"Perfect. See you then, love."

After she says her goodbye, she disconnects with a smile on her face. For the first time this week, she's excited; she gets to see her best friend. She really has missed him this past week. If she leaves on time, she'll have a half an hour to wrap his presents before having to head back out.

As she's driving to her apartment, her excitement rises along with her nerves. Tonight, she'll tell Christian the verdict on his sperm donor offer. Once she tells him, she knows there is no changing the decision. She's gone back and forth about it all week and she wants to tell him before her mind changes again. _Then it'll be set it stone._ Still, she can't help, but worry about it a bit.

Anastasia pulls up to the valet and he gives her a smile when he sees her. He opens her door when she parks and she returns his smile.

"Thank you, Joshua. I'll be back for it in about a half an hour if you just want to keep it here."

"Great. No problem, Ms. Steele."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Ana."

Joshua gives her a knowing smile. "As many as you'd like, Ms. Steele."

She shakes her head at him. _Another stubborn male._ She knows he's trying to be professional, but he's been the valet for two years. It's time he call her by something other than her last name.

She crosses her fingers as she heads to the concierge desk and is relieved when she sees Erica smiling at her, shaking a brown UPS box.

"Wonderful!" She had been worried that she ordered it too late in the day for it to come on Friday. "Thank you, Erica!" Anastasia takes it from the concierge and hurries off to the elevator so that she can wrap the presents.

XxXxXx

While Christian waits for Anastasia, he undresses out of his suit and slips on some pajama pants and light blue t-shirt. Since they aren't planning on going anywhere, he might as well be comfortable. He knew that she would probably do the same.

When he hears the elevator, he leaves his bedroom to greet his best friend and when she enters through the foyer, he sees that he's right. She's wearing a pair of loose, black yoga pants, black flip flops, and his old Harvard hoodie that she stole years ago. Although he didn't want to, he was forced into four years at Harvard University by his parents. His father refused to help fund his business without a college degree.

Anastasia went to Columbia University, an Ivy League University in New York. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't accepted into Harvard, but she had always dreamed of going to Columbia, so they had to spend most of their time apart. He spent his four years studying Business, while she spent hers studying English and Comparative Literature...something that Ray still cringes about. He wasn't happy when he found out his daughter was going to be spending fifty grand a year to study English when she could be doing it in Washington for much cheaper. Anastasia was persistent that she go to her dream University and stay closer to her best friend. Although they lived in different states and lived three and a half hours apart, they managed to meet up almost every weekend, taking turns driving the three and a half hours.

Christian doesn't remember exactly when his Harvard hoodie made its way to Anastasia's closet, but he does remember it was after one of the weekends she spent in his dorm room.

 _Thief._

"Hey." She smiles at him and he sees that her hands are full. "I've brought wine and some thank you gifts." It's the wine that she forgot to bring to Mia's birthday party.

He meets her halfway and takes the items from her. "What's all this for?" He smiles down at the presents wrapped in thank you paper. _He loves presents._ Very rarely does he get many presents. His family seems to think since he has so much money, that he doesn't need or want anything. Although he always appreciates their donations to his various charities as his birthday and Christmas presents, it's such a treat when he gets something to unwrap.

Anastasia always makes sure to give him something. He isn't picky; it doesn't need to be expensive or unique for him to love it. Anastasia knows that. She loves the way his eyes light up when he opens her presents.

"I wanted to say thank you...you've done so much for me this past month and I wanted you to know I really appreciate your offer to be the sperm donor." Anastasia explains as she follows him towards the kitchen, where he sets the items down on the island.

"I love them."

She giggles. "You haven't opened them, yet, silly."

He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. I love them." He shakes the square box, but it makes no noise. "What is it?"

Anastasia rolls her eyes. "Open it."

He gives her a boyish grin and rips off the paper as quickly as he can and then tears into the brown box to see what's inside. When he has it open, he peers in and then his eyebrows raise and he looks up at her.

"What is it?"

She laughs and reaches in the box, pulling the item out.

"It's a sperm bank. Get it?" It's a piggy bank, only it's in the shape of a sperm and it's white.

Christian begins to laugh. "Yes, I get it. But why?" Out of all the things she could have got him, he doesn't understand why she'd get him this.

"Because…" She places it on the island and fishes in her front hoodie pocket, withdrawing a quarter to slip into the coin slot. It makes a loud clink against the bottom of the porcelain bank. "You'll be my own personal sperm bank."

His mouth falls open and his breath leaves him. "Does...does that mean...?"

She nods.

"Yes?"

Giggling, she answers. "Yes."

"Yes, yes?"

"Christian!" _How many times will she have to say it?_

He launches himself at her and spins her around, making her squeal. "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY! We're going to...holy shit." He stops, but refuses to put her down.

"Change you mind?" She teases when she sees that realization has hit.

Christian shakes his head. "Absolutely not. Fuck, Anastasia. This is the best news I've heard in such a long time."

Anastasia is beaming. She loves seeing him like this. "I'm glad I could make your day."

"You made my year, love." His smile turns into a frown and his eyes widen. "We need to kiss on it before you change your mind."

"I'm not going to change my mind, Christian."

"Seal it, Ana. Don't make me hold you down again."

Her eyes widen and she ducks her head down, pressing her lips to his. She lets them linger for just a couple of seconds, knowing that this is the most serious promise they've ever made to one another. When she pulls away, he finally sets her down.

"Let's celebrate with some wine." Christian pulls open the cabinet drawer in search of a corkscrew.

"You've got one more present." She reminds him, taking the corkscrew from him. "I'll open this. You open that." She points to the unwrapped present sitting on the island.

He rips open his next present and inside the brown box is a coffee mug with a rolled up shirt stuffed in it. Reaching in, he pulls the coffee mug out and sees that it says 'The Bump Maker' on the outside. He laughs.

"A t-shirt, too?" He pulls the t-shirt out of the cup and shakes it out, seeing that it says the same thing. He holds it up to himself and sticks his chin out, modeling it. "How do I look?"

Anastasia giggles. "You look perfect. I know that they're gag gifts, but I thought they were cute." She explains, grabbing two long stem glasses from the cabinet.

His eyebrows knit together as he looks down at the t-shirt. "Gag gifts? What do you mean? I plan on using these."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "Where?"

"Hm," Christian taps his chin, thinking. "I think the coffee mug deserves to come to work with me. The shirt...the shirt, I think I'll wear when you start to show...and the bank…" He picks it up, thinking. It really isn't professional to have something like that at work. "I think I'll keep it in my home office. I can put my loose change in it."

Anastasia rolls her eyes. "These are just joke gifts, Christian."

"Not to me." He makes his way to her and leans down, pressing his lips to hers as a thank you. His lips linger and Anastasia feels a stirring in her stomach that scares her a little. It feels a bit like butterflies, but it's way too low for that. It causes her to pull away from him.

"Thank you, Ana."

"You're welcome." She tries to hide her breathiness, but fails.

Christian wiggles his eyebrows, enjoying her discomfort. He grabs their wine glasses, placing them in front of their seats at the kitchen island. "Our plates are in the warming rack, waiting for us. Let's eat."

XxXxXx

Christian and Anastasia are near the end of their second bottle of wine while they sit on the couch in the great room, laughing over things that have happened at work and with their families.

"Mr. Kavanagh actually caught Elliot and Kate? How is he still living?" Anastasia asks, giggling into her hand.

Christian shrugs, grinning. "I don't know, but he said that her mom came in and starting asking Kate if she knew about the various forms of birth control. She even offered to take Kate to the doctor for birth control."

She snorts into her wine glass. "Poor Elliot."

"Do you really feel that way?"

She giggles. "No."

Christian's head falls back in a laugh. He knew that she didn't feel bad for Elliot. She finds this whole Elliot and Kate situation hilarious.

"Hopefully, she listens to her mother. I don't want to see the circus that would come with Elliot knocking her up."

He shakes his head. "Surely, he isn't that stupid." He knows Elliot has been sleeping around since he was in high school. He should know everything there is about birth control, by now. The thought of Elliot being a father doesn't sit well with Christian. Elliot doesn't seem to be in a state at the moment to be a responsible father. _He hopes that he and Ana have the first baby._

"Speaking of babies…" Anastasia leans over, placing her wine glass on the coffee table. "We need to talk about how all of this is going to play out."

"What do you mean?" _Isn't it pretty straight forward?_ "Does that mean you want to do this the old fashion way?" He wiggles his eyebrows, playfully.

She rolls her eyes. "Dream on, Grey. No, I mean how we're going to navigate this. When do you want to tell our parents that you've offered to be the donor? Should we tell them now or should we wait until I'm pregnant? Do you want to get them involved with this?"

Christian chews his lip, thinking. "It isn't something we're ashamed of, Ana, so I think we should be straight forward from the very beginning. We're excited about it, so why not share in the excitement? There's going to be a new baby. We're going to be parents. I think we should enjoy this time."

Anastasia smiles at him, relieved. She didn't want to sneak behind anyone's back and she's glad that he feels the same. "Great. Then we'll tell them. When?"

"How about Sunday? You can come with me to our weekly family dinner. I'll wear my shirt." He gives her a grin.

She gives him a shy smile. "I hope your parents will take the news well."

"Why wouldn't they? They love you, Ana… and they'll love you even more when they find out you'll be carrying their grandchild."

"You don't think that they'll think that I'm just trying to weasel my way into your life and take over?" Anastasia can't help, but think that his parents might think she's doing it for the check or to guarantee herself a spot in his life forever.

"Ana…" Christian slides over on the couch and pulls her to him, hugging her close. "Why would they think that? We've been best friends for eleven years. You're a permanent fixture in my life, no matter what. They know that. They aren't going to think this is some sort of move for control, Ana. They love you. You're being silly."

She relaxes against Christian, enjoying the rare moment of him actually wanting to cuddle. She hugs him tight. "I guess I am. It's just nerve wracking. I'll feel better once everyone knows."

"So...you're sure you don't want to do this the old fashion way?" He asks, trying to lighten the mood.

Anastasia pulls away from him. "Christian! You're disgusting. I think I'll stay in the guest bedroom tonight." She knows she's had too much to drink and will be staying overnight as a precaution. Usually, she falls asleep in his bed after they watch a movie or talk late into the night, but if he's talking like this, she doesn't have the patience to deal with his crassness all night.

"Nope. I refuse to allow that. You're stuck with me."

"You're a terrible host."

He snorts. "A terrible host? Here I am, offering you my own bed. Do you know how many women would kill to sleep in the same bed as me?"

Anastasia giggles at her cocky best friend. "Oh, yes, you're right. I forgot just how privileged I am to be in your presence. Thank you for the reminder."

Christian gives her a wink. "You're welcome, love."

"I just hope those women don't try to kill me when they find out I'm carrying your child."

Christian stills, realizing that there might be a problem like this when she becomes pregnant. There is already jealousy from others since they are so close. With him being a billionaire, he has to take the proper precautions to keep Anastasia and their baby safe. There is a possibility of another jealous female hurting her, but he's more worried that an enemy would want to hurt her, knowing it'd hurt him. He's taken many companies against the owner's will and he has more than a few enemies that have threatened him. There is also a chance that someone would kidnap her or their child, in exchange for a lump sum of money.

"Christian, don't look like that. I was just kidding."

"There's some truth in that, Ana. Someone could hurt you. It's important that we get you a CPO once you're pregnant. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. You mean everything to me, Ana."

She gives him an incredulous look. "What? You aren't serious! Why would anyone care about me?"

"Jealousy, like you said...or to hurt me. Or for money. There are multiple reasons why people would want to hurt you...and all of them would be my fault. If we're going to have a child together, then you'll have to have a CPO."

"But…"

"No, Ana. No, buts. This isn't up for discussion. I'm telling you how it's going to be. If you can't handle that, then we can't do this." The thought upsets him, but he won't put her at risk.

Anastasia's heart aches at his words. She can feel the tears welling up, but she squeezes her eyes shut to will them away. "You've changed your mind?" Her voice is broken and she wishes that she could just go home.

"No, no. I haven't. You've misunderstood. I want to be your donor. I want this more than I've wanted anything in a long time. I just want you to understand that when you get pregnant, I have to keep you and our child safe. We'll be a family in a way. I have to do what's best for my family. The CPO comes with my donation. I won't have it any other way."

Opening her eyes, she looks up at him and sees that his eyebrows are knit together, a 'V' forming on his skin between them. _He's being honest._ He's worried about her. She knows there's no reason to fight him on this. She wants him to be her donor and she wants her baby to be safe. She has no other choice, but to agree.

She nods. "Okay."

Christian lets out a breath he was holding. "So you're agreeing to the extra security?"

"Yes."

He smiles at her and leans in to hug her again. "Thank you, Ana."

She sniffles and relaxes against him, suddenly exhausted. The mixture between her full stomach, too much wine, and the heavy conversation has made her drowsy.

"I'm tired, Christian."

He presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Let's go to bed, then."

XxXxXx

Christian wakes up early and carefully slips out of bed, making sure not to wake his sleeping best friend. Heading into the closet, he changes into his running gear and slips on his Nikes for his morning run. Still feeling the effects from the amount of wine from the night before, he stops in the kitchen for two ibuprofen and a bottle of water. He sucks down the bottle of water and uses the restroom before heading out for his run.

When he's back, he puts on a pot of coffee and decides to wait to shower until Anastasia is up. Instead, he has a seat at the kitchen island while he enjoys his coffee and looks over the morning news on his phone.

The sperm bank on the counter catches his eye and he reaches over to pick it up. He turns it on its side and the quarter inside makes a slight clinking sound as it rolls inside of it.

 _She's agreed._

 _He's going to be a father._

There's a chance that in a year from now, there will be a sweet little bundle of love in his arms. It'll be his and Ana's child. _They'll be a family._ He smiles at the thought. The two of them get along so well, he knows that they'll be able to co-parent with little conflict. A part of him is worried that his fathering skills might not be up to par, but he's had a stable father for most of his life, so he's had a great male role model. _Some things have had to rub off._

The bank reminds him that he needs to speak to Taylor about getting another CPO for Anastasia.

Seeing that it's almost seven, he decides that it's safe to text Taylor, telling him that he needs to speak to him whenever he gets a few minutes this weekend. Since it isn't something urgent, he won't demand that Taylor speak to him immediately.

As he's pouring himself a second cup of coffee, he hears a door click shut. _Anastasia must finally be awake._

When he turns around, though, he sees Taylor standing there in pajama pants and hair a mess.

Christian laughs. "I said when you had time, Taylor."

Taylor shrugs. "I have time now."

Shaking his head, he offers Taylor a cup of coffee, which he accepts.

"What would you like to speak to me about, Mr. Grey?"

"I wanted you to find me another CPO."

Taylor gives Christian a worried look. "Did something happen I'm not aware of?"

"No, no. Well, yes, but no." Realizing he's not making any sense, he explains. "You've heard about everything that's been going on with Ana...well, I've offered to be her sperm donor and she's accepted."

He gives Christian a nod. "Ah. That explains that then." He states, pointing to the sperm bank with his chin.

Christian chuckles. "Yea. Her way of accepting my offer, I guess."

"So, you'll need a CPO for Ms. Steele?"

"Yes."

"And another for the child if it comes?"

"When, Taylor. And yes."

Taylor shakes his head, hearing his mistake. "Sorry, sir. Yes, when. When it comes."

"S'okay, Taylor." Christian just wants to be optimistic when it comes to Anastasia being able to carry her own children.

"I'll start on it first thing Monday morning."

"Thank you, Taylor."

"You're welcome. Is there anything else?"

Christian shakes his head. "No, you better get back to Gail, now. It's your day off. It's her turn to have you."

Taylor laughs. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He empties the remainder of his coffee down the drain and places his cup in the sink. "Enjoy your day."

"You, too, Taylor."

"Oh, and Christian?" Taylor stops on his way through the great room.

"Yea?"

"Congratulations."

Christian's face breaks out in a giant grin. "Thank you, Taylor."

 **If you want a teaser for the next chapter, let me know.**


	8. Chapter 8

Although Christian has reassured Anastasia over and over again that his family will take the news of their decision to have a child well, Anastasia still finds herself becoming more nervous the closer Sunday evening gets. Although the Grey's have known her for eleven years now, she still feels the need to make a good impression tonight. She takes her time getting ready, picking out her clothes carefully and taking extra time on her hair and makeup.

Knowing how proper his family is, she decides to wear a navy blue dress with lace overlay that rests at her knees. It's sleeveless and has an illusion lace neckline that rests right below her throat. She slips on her Victoria Secret heels in navy blue satin with sparkles and wears the pearl earrings and bracelet that her mother bought her for her twenty-fifth birthday. She leaves her hair in waves and then braids a side of her hair back away from her face.

She offered to drive separate tonight so that Christian didn't have to pick her up, but he insisted. Secretly, she was hoping to be able to drive separate so she could make a break for it if need be. Unfortunately, she's not going to be that lucky. She knows that Christian would be disappointed in her if she did try to do such a thing. She's a strong woman. If there is going to be a battle, she needs to fight this head on...for her and for Christian.

Anastasia is just finishing up her makeup when she hears the jingle of Christian's keys and the click of the lock disengaging.

"Ana?" He calls.

"Just a sec!" She answers, running her gloss applicator over her bottom lip one more time.

"You aren't ready, yet?" He appears in the doorway of her in suite bathroom and leans up against the door jam, his hands in his pockets.

"Keep your hair on, Grey. I'm ready." She hurries to screw the cap back on her lip gloss and throws her makeup back into her makeup bag.

When she turns towards him, she sees that he's wearing a white button down with the sleeves rolled up his forearms and black pants. He's tie-less and the top two buttons of his shirt are undone. It's annoying how good he can make that sloppy businessman attire look. Here, she has spent over an hour getting ready, feeling like she's just barely looking presentable for his parents house and he probably spent five minutes throwing this look together and looks better than she does.

"I hate you." She mumbles, looking him over.

Christian chuckles. "You look beautiful, Ana." She always complains about his ability to throw himself together so easily. Luckily for him, it's easier for men.

She worries her glossy bottom lip.

"Are you still nervous?" He's surprised.

She nods, but doesn't say anything. Instead, she grabs her lip gloss and makes her way towards him so she can grab her bag. When she tries to step around him, he reaches for her arm, effectively stopping her.

"There's no reason to be so nervous, Anastasia."

"I'll be better once it's out in the open. It's just a nerve wracking time, is all." There's a part of her that knows that all of this could be wasted time. She might not even be able to carry a child. It might not work. _She hates that idea._ Swallowing back the lump that has formed in her throat, she pushes the possibility to the back of her mind for now. She wants to concentrate on the good and celebrate while she can...that is, if his parents are willing.

Christian notices the change in her face. He knows that when her pupils contract and her iris' become darker that her mood has gone dark along with them. He watches her lips pull into a fine line when she swallows and knows that she's trying to keep a brave face.

"What is it?" His tone is gentle and his hand slides down her arm to squeeze her hand.

Anastasia shakes her head. "Nothing. A conversation for another time. Let's go before we're late." She pulls her hand back from his and begrudgingly, he releases it, hating that they don't have the time to talk over whatever is bothering her now.

"Later." He reiterates and she nods.

"Yes. Now, let's go."

XxXxXx

"Oh, Ana! I am so glad that you could come! I wish you'd come more often. I miss you when you aren't here." Grace hugs Anastasia tight as they enter the house. Anastasia hates to impose on their family dinners. She tries to make it once a month, though. If she doesn't come every once in awhile, Grace begins to worry and calls Anastasia to guilt her into coming to see them. No matter how much Grace gushes over Anastasia or how welcome she makes her feel, Anastasia can't help, but feel a little out of place during their family dinners. It's such an intimate time for the family and she feels like she's ruining it by being there.

"Thank you for having me. Me, too, Grace. Maybe the two of us and Mia can get together for a girl's day?" It's been too long since she's been shopping and she's looking forward to buying some new summer outfits.

Grace's eyes light up at the suggestion. "Oh, yes! That would be great! I'll be in touch once I look at my schedule." She hugs Christian hard and smiles up at him. "Hello, darling. How was your week?"

Christian smiles down at his mother. _His savior._ "It was great, Mom."

Grace is pleasantly surprised by this. Usually, he finds something to grumble about, but she always enjoys listening to her youngest son talk about his week. There was a time where she thought that he would never speak. He was mute for the first two years that he lived with them. If it wasn't for Mia's sudden appearance, he might have never spoken. He might have been mute his whole childhood.

"Why don't we make our way to the dining room and enjoy a drink while dinner is made?"

Christian smiles down at his mother. "Yes, Mom, let's go have a seat." He slips his arm around his mother's waist and steers her towards the dining room.

"What has gotten into you, Christian?" He's practically buzzing beside her. She hasn't seen him like this in awhile. He's never been one for direct contact and he's just offered to escort her into the dining room. She knows his haphephobia has a lot to do with that and it only gets worse when he's in a bad mood.

He shrugs. "Can't I just be in a good mood, Mother?"

Grace laughs. "Yes, darling, of course you can. I'm sorry. I quite enjoy seeing you like this."

Anastasia follows them into the dining room and she can feel most of her anxiety dissipate as she watches Christian with his mother. His good mood is infectious and his mother is practically giddy beside him. Anastasia is hoping that her good mood will continue throughout dinner and that she'll take the news well.

When they make it to the dining room, they're surprised to see a young blonde woman sitting next to Elliot. _Kate Kavanagh._ Elliot stands as soon as he sees them and Kate follows suit.

"Christian, Ana...this is my girlfriend, Kate. Kate, this is my brother, Christian, and his best friend, Anastasia. You remember them from the party?"

Kate gives them a smile. "Yes, I remember. It was quite refreshing to see the girls scatter away from Christian when you showed up." Kate offers her hand to Anastasia first and she accepts it with a laugh.

"Yes, sometimes Christian needs saving." _Anastasia likes this girl._

"More often than not." Elliot retorts, giving Anastasia a wink.

Christian rolls his eyes at the two. "They're being a little dramatic, Kate. I assure you, I can take care of myself." He offers his hand to her and she gives him a firm handshake. He's pleasantly surprised by her confidence, but he feels as if he shouldn't be. Elliot needs a confident woman to put up with his ass and to put him in his place.

"That's good to hear. Elliot has referred to Ana as your full time babysitter, but I figured he was being dramatic. A man who couldn't take care of himself couldn't build such an empire at such an early age."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kavanagh." Elliot warns, making Christian laugh.

"I don't know about that, Elliot." Christian states, giving Kate a wink. "It just so happens her father and I had a meeting on Monday about Kavanagh Media."

Kate gives Christian a knowing smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She knows what she's doing and he finds it hilarious. "My father taught me well."

Elliot chuckles. "Ah, so maybe you should bend over so it'll make it easier for Kate to kiss your ass."

"Tell your father not to worry, Ms. Kavanagh. I don't see any reason why we can't do business together." Eamon Kavanagh knows how to run a successful business and Christian is sure that he can make a nice chunk of revenue off this business venture.

Kate gives Christian a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Grey! I'll be sure to tell him that it's all thanks to me." She smiles up at Elliot and he dips down to peck her lips. "There is no reason for him to say no to your company now. I'm sure he'll take your bid."

Elliot is relieved. "Thanks, bro."

Although Christian hadn't realized that Elliot's business with Kavanagh Media depended on his, he was glad he could help out. _He should have known._

Christian and Anastasia enjoy a couple of glasses of wine during dinner and it allows them to relax and enjoy the time with the others. While Gretchen begins to clear the table, Christian excuses himself and disappears to the bathroom.

He pulls out the t-shirt that's rolled tightly in his inside coat pocket and undresses his top half quickly, slipping the t-shirt on and slipping his jacket back over it. Buttoning two of the buttons, he hides most of the t-shirt; he doesn't want anyone to be able to read it until he's ready. On his way back to the dining room, he tosses his button-down on the bench next to the front door and continues on his way. When he returns, he sees that there is baked apple pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. _His favorite._ It just makes his day even better.

Christian takes his seat next to Anastasia and she eyes him. She notices the change of clothes and she wonders if anyone else has noticed, yet.

"Ana?" Her attention gets pulled from her best friend and her eyes find Carrick's. "How are you feeling? We haven't seen you since your surgery. Christian isn't very forthcoming with any information." Carrick's eyes flick over to Christian's before meeting Anastasia's again.

"Not my place, Dad." Christian answers with a mouthful of apple pie. If Anastasia wants his family to know the details, then that's up for her to decide.

"We don't mean to pry, Ana. We just want to make sure you're alright. I know it must have been such a shock."

Anastasia nods. "Yes, this last month has been nothing, but shock after shock." She gives Christian an accusatory look, but he pretends not to notice her, instead keeping his eyes on his chunk of apple pie that's almost gone. "The surgery went well, though. They managed to get a lot of the scarring and built up tissue from my endometriosis, but the doctor had a few concerns." She knew what this was leading up to. His family would know in just a few minutes.

"Concerns? Oh, no. What concerns?" Grace stares at Anastasia wide-eyed and suddenly fearful. "It wasn't cancer?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Anastasia sees Christian's hand sneak its way over to her plate of dessert. She smacks his hand. "No. No cancer."

Grace lets out a relieved sigh. "So, then...what?"

Christian tries to take her dessert again and this time, she smacks the back of his hand with her cold, ice cream covered spoon.

"Ew."

"Oh, Christian. For goodness sake! Gretchen, will you get Christian another helping of dessert?" Grace asks before turning back to Anastasia. "Tell us, Ana."

Anastasia's eyes sweep over the table and land on Kate. "I just want to make sure that this news doesn't leave this table. I don't mean to single you out, Kate. It isn't that I don't trust you, but I don't really know you and I want you to understand that this is confidential...at least for now."

Kate shakes her head. "I won't say anything, Ana. You can trust me. If it'll make you feel better, I can leave the table?"

"No, that isn't necessary. Elliot will probably fill you in, anyway, but I just wanted to put it in stone."

"You have my word, Ana."

Anastasia lets out a deep sigh and Christian reaches over and takes her hand that is resting in her lap. He gives it a squeeze, reminding her that he's there to support her.

"After my surgery, the doctor said that my chances of becoming pregnant were pretty low for a woman my age...and that they'll only drop the longer I wait."

"Oh, Ana...I'm sorry to hear that." Mia frowns and reaches across the table to squeeze her hand. "What are you going to do?"

"The doctor said that I had about a 60% chance right now. IVF will give me the greatest chance of carrying the child to term."

"How does that work? I mean...no offense, but don't you need two people for that?" Elliot asks.

It makes Anastasia laugh. "Yes, Elliot. I'm well aware of how baby making works. I would need a sperm donor for that. After I take the fertility medication and they take my eggs, they'll take the donor's sperm and my eggs and put them in a petri dish and when they know the egg is fertilized, they'll put the egg back into me. Hopefully, the egg will stick."

"A sperm donor? Do you already have one picked out? I have a friend I went to graduate school with that works at the Seattle Sperm Bank. I know they do thorough background checks. I can get ahold of him if-"

Anastasia shakes her head, cutting Grace off. "I've found one."

"Oh." Grace smiles.

Christian unbuttons his suit jacket and drapes it open. His movement causes the others to look at him and there is a collective gasp from the group.

"What-you mean-you're going to be- are you already-?" Grace doesn't know what to ask first.

Christian laughs. "I have opted to be her sperm donor and no, she isn't pregnant, yet. We haven't even been to the doctor to get her fertility medication."

"Really? Oh, wow. Really?" Grace asks through her fingers that are pressed against her mouth. Her eyes are filling with tears and she's beyond happy for her son and his best friend.

"That's a hell of a gift you're giving her, son." Carrick squeezes Christian's shoulder from his spot at the end of the table. "Proud of you."

Christian smiles at his father. "Thanks, Dad. We're pretty excited about it."

Mia's beaming at them. "I knew it!"

"You knew what?" Christian asks.

"I knew you two would get together!"

Anastasia rolls her eyes. "We're not _together,_ Mia. He's just donating his sperm. We'll co-parent."

"We'll see." Mia wiggles her eyebrows.

Christian is eager to hear what his mother has to say about the subject. He decides to ignore his sister's comment and turns to his mother, asking her what she thinks.

"It's wonderful, Christian." Grace smiles at her son. "Just wonderful. I think it is just so lovely that you two are doing this together." She stands, moving around the table, and both of them stand to hug her. "I'm going to be a grandma." Grace states, realizing. "You're going to be carrying my grandchild…" She cups Anastasia's face and smiles. "You wonderful, sweet, sweet girl."

"So, you approve then?" Anastasia asks, relieved.

Grace laughs. "Yes, silly. Of course, I do. You two have made such a lovely choice for a baby. Christian will be such a wonderful father and you, such a wonderful mother. This way, the baby will have both parents. This is going to be the most loved baby on the planet."

Anastasia can feel her tears rising from her throat and her eyes begin to sting. "Thank you." She croaks out, trying to hold her tears back. "I'm so happy." She hugs Grace close, squeezing her tightly. She can feel the weight on her shoulders immediately lift as Grace holds her.

"Me, too." Grace admits as she pulls away from Anastasia. She now has tears in her eyes, herself. "Christian, my baby boy." She opens her arms and he wraps her in his arms, kissing the top of her head. "You're so lovely for offering, Christian. You are going to be so blessed with this little one. I just know it."

"Why don't we all sit and enjoy our dessert and have a toast to congratulate Christian and Ana?" Carrick asks, noticing his wife clinging to Christian.

Christian gives his father an appreciative smile and Grace finally releases her son.

"Yes, yes, you're right. Let's celebrate! Before Ana can no longer enjoy a good drink."

Anastasia pouts. "Oh, yea. I forgot about that. Yes. Let's drink!"

Christian eyes Elliot, who has been quiet. "Elliot? What do you think?"

Elliot stares at Christian for a minute and then snorts. "I think it's fucking weird, dude. Not the situation, but the fact that you're going to be a dad."

Christian laughs. "It _is_ a little weird...but it'd be weirder if it was you."

Kate's eyebrows crease. "Why? Why would it be weird for Elliot to be a dad?"

He scowls at Christian and Christian snickers behind his glass of bourbon. He didn't intentionally call Elliot out, but he's going to enjoy watching him stutter and explain himself to Kate.

"Yea, Elliot. Why?" Anastasia asks, giving him an innocent smile.

"I hate you people."

XxXxXx

"Ana, are you ready, yet?" Christian calls from the couch in her apartment. They just got back from his parents and they need to Skype her parents before his parents get ahold of them.

"Almost!" Anastasia stands at the stove, making her tea. She had a few drinks, so she knows she needs the tea to calm her and for the hydration. A tea before bed always keeps the headaches away the morning after drinking.

"Bring me a water."

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, your highness."

After she grabs her tea and his bottle of water, she makes her way into the sitting room and pulls her feet up and under her, getting comfortable.

"You're welcome…" She says, a bit aggravated as he takes a drink. He didn't even bother to thank her.

He gives her a wink mid-swallow. "Thanks, love."

She huffs. "Is this how you treat the mother of your future child?"

His head falls back in a laugh. "Already starting with that, are we? Don't worry, Ana. When you become pregnant, I promise to wait on you hand and foot."

"I don't need you to do that. I just want you to rub my feet every once in awhile." She slides her legs out from under her and places them on his lap, wiggling her toes. He runs the nail of his index finger up her left foot, making her squeal and pull her feet away.

"You aren't pregnant, yet, girl."

"You've asked for it, Grey." She scowls at him.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"You'll see." Anastasia gives him a mischievous smile, enjoying that he won't know what's coming.

He ignores her. "Let's call your parents."

She nods and bounces over closer to him, leaning against his side so that they can both be seen from the laptop.

"You don't seem too worried about your parents." Christian said, smiling.

"I'm not. My mother will be ecstatic."

It is late in Georgia...almost midnight...but her mother said they'd be up. She had told her mother she had some news from the doctor, but refused to say what.

It only rang twice on Skype before her parents picked up. They were both in their pajamas and in bed.

"Hey, Mom and Dad."

"Hello, sweetie. What do you have to tell us? We've been worrying all night!"

"Oh, Mom. If it was something that serious, don't you think I would have already told you?"

Carla sighs. "I suppose so."

"So, what is it, Annie?" Ray asks, wanting to get to the point.

"I found a sperm donor." Anastasia announces, smiling.

"You have?" Carla looks a little crestfallen at her news. "From the sperm bank?"

Anastasia shakes her head. "No."

"Then where?"

Christian pulls his t-shirt straight and moves the camera so they can see it.

"What-what does it say?" Ray asks, slipping his glasses back on.

"The bump maker?" Carla states, then gives a shrill gasp. "CHRISTIAN? Christian's the sperm donor!?"

Laughing, Christian moves the camera back up to their faces. "Yes, I'm officially going to be the baby daddy."

Carla is bouncing in her seat on the bed while she squeals, making the camera on their side move all around.

"Ugh, Mom, your making us sick!"

Laughing, Ray takes the phone from her and holds it himself. "That's great news, you two! Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Dad!"

"When do you see the doctor?" Her father asks over Carla's excitement.

"Sometime this week. I'll start my fertility treatments then and we'll go from there."

"Keep us informed, Annie."

She smiles. "I will, Dad."

"I'm going to get off of here and try to calm your mother down."

"Oh, Ray! You hush! I'm allowed to be happy!"

Christian and Anastasia laugh. "Alright, Daddy. I'll talk to you later. Night."

"Night, baby. And Christian? You and I are going to talk later." He gives Christian a stern look and Christian's eyes widen.

"Er...yes, sir."

Once they disconnect, Anastasia turns to Christian.

"Baby daddy?"

Christian smiles. "It was funny."

"Please do not introduce yourself as my baby daddy ever again." Anastasia tries to keep a straight face, but cracks again.

"See, I'm funny."

"No, you're a menace. I just happen to be in a good mood and find it entertaining at the moment. When I'm pregnant, I doubt I find it that funny."

His eyes widen dramatically. "Pregozilla!" He lets out a roar and holds his hands out like fake claws.

She giggles and pushes him sideways. "Shut up and drink your water so you can go home and leave me alone."

"You're not going to share your bed tonight?" He gives her a pout.

"No." Her tone is flat.

"Fine. I didn't want to sleep with you anyway."

"Good. Hurry up."

He shakes his head. "You aren't getting rid of me that easy. I want to talk about earlier."

She's confused. "What about earlier?"

"When I picked you up. Something was bothering you. You said we'd talk about it later."

Anastasia picks up her tea and blows on it, cooling it. "Right."

"So?"

She worries her lip. "I'm worried that all of this energy and excitement is going to be wasted."

He's dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"What if I'm unable to carry a child? What if we do the IVF and it just doesn't work?"

His shoulders fall. "Oh, Ana...you can't think that way." He pulls her into his lap and she straddles his legs, looking down at him. She wants the closeness with him and is enjoying the familiar warmth and smell of her best friend; it's comforting. It helps ease her worries almost immediately. "Nothing is set in stone, but we have a good chance. Being pessimistic will only make things worse. If you're optimistic, your body will be, too. Think happy, healthy thoughts." He tucks a tendril of hair behind her ear.

"But what if it doesn't happen?"

"Then we'll come to it when we get there. We'll get through it together." He hates how much this is tearing Anastasia up. He just wants her to be happy and content with where her life is at the moment. He doesn't want her to have to live with the emotional and physical pain that comes with this prognosis.

"I don't want to let anyone down. Especially you." Anastasia looks down at his t-shirt and pouts a little.

"Love...you could never do that." Christian lifts her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "Don't worry about me, alright? As long as you're in my life, I'm happy and content. Do you understand that?"

She nods. "Yes."

He gives her an encouraging smile. "Good girl. Now, promise me that you'll do your best not to think about the worst that could happen."

Anastasia gives a subtle nod.

"Anastasia Rose. Say it. Promise me." His voice is gentle, but stern. He hates when she gets stuck in her own head.

"Yes, I promise."

"Give me a kiss and then I'll tuck you in and head home."

She giggles. "I'm not a child."

He smiles, happy to hear her giggle. "The way you were pouting, I thought you might be."

"Oh, you hush." She leans down and pecks his lips. "It's sealed. Now go home. I'm tired."

 **If you'd like a teaser for Chapter 9, let me know. Also, I've already mentioned this at the beginning of Chapter 2, but I'm still getting many PM's about this, so I thought I'd say it again. She will not have a miscarriage and it will be HEA.**


	9. Chapter 9

Today, Anastasia has her IVF appointment with Dr. Evans. She has made sure to make it later in the day so that she and Christian won't miss much of the workday. As excited as she is to get the ball rolling with the IVF, she's not looking forward to her meeting with Jack Hyde, the author who she is still considering to sign on. She is meeting him after lunch and, as much as she wants to gobble down her sandwich, it just doesn't taste like much. She manages to pick at it and swallow it down, but her mouth is dry and her dread about this meeting makes the pieces of her sandwich taste like plastic. She's met people like him before and she doesn't know if she has the patience to deal with such nonsense today. He thinks he's God's gift to the world and she refuses to stroke his ego. Luckily, she's smart enough to keep the meeting short, with the excuse that she has to leave by 2:00 pm for her appointment.

As 1:30 pm rolls around, the intercom buzzes and her assistant, Hannah, lets her know that Jack Hyde is here.

"Bring him back, Hannah. Thank you."

Anastasia stands to get herself ready to meet him and straightens her outfit, making sure that she looks professional.

The door opens and Hannah escorts Jack Hyde into Anastasia's office. "Ms. Steele, this is Mr. Hyde, your one-thirty appointment." Hannah rarely calls Anastasia by her last name, but she's made a habit of it in front of clients, which Anastasia appreciates. It gives off a more profession vibe.

"Thank you, Hannah. Hello, Mr. Hyde, I'm Anastasia Steele."

He takes her outstretched hand and shakes it, squeezing her hand tighter than need be. He's trying to exude dominance already, but Anastasia refuses to wince at his handshake. Instead, she keeps her face neutral and her eyes on his.

"Ms. Steele." He finally lets go of her hand and when he does, she can feel the blood rushing back into her hand with each beat of her heart. _Bastard._ What type of man is this?

"Mr. Hyde, would you like to have a seat?" She waves her hand over to the sitting area with the curved couch and armchair by the windows in her office. She _will not_ let him get one over on her. There is no way she's going to sign this contract unless it's exactly how _she_ wants it.

Jack Hyde has a seat on the couch and Anastasia has a seat on it as well, leaving about three feet between them.

"Ms. Steele, Mr. Hyde? Would you like a beverage?"

"Just water for me, Hannah." She looks over at Mr. Hyde, waiting for him to speak.

"Coffee would be great, thanks Hannah." He gives Hannah a wink and her cheeks redden before she turns and scurries out of the office.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Hyde."

He gives her a cold stare for a few moments. "I have a hard time believing that, Ms. Steele. You've been ignoring all of my efforts to reach you."

Anastasia gives him a cold smile. "I've been quite busy, Mr. Hyde. I was out for a couple of weeks and then I had a lot to catch up on. I apologize that this contract wasn't at the top of my priority list."

"Me, too, Anastasia." She inwardly cringes at the use of her first name. "I know what I'm doing. You're missing out on a hell of a lot of revenue each day that you ignore me."

She cocks her head and regards him. "Don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Hyde, but you don't strike me as the type to write a love story about vampires and werewolves." He has untidy dark blonde hair that's pushed out of his face, cold blue eyes, and enough stubble to look like he's forgotten to shave for a few days. _Or too lazy._ The only thing professional about his appearance is his well made suit he is wearing, but even then, his tie is loose and the button of his collar is undone. This guy is either too ignorant or too cocky to know how to dress and act in a professional setting. Her gut says it's the latter.

He gives her a menacing, fake smile. It's more of a grimace than anything. "What can I say Anastasia? I am a man of many talents."

Anastasia clenches her jaw. "Ms. Steele."

"What?"

"You may call me Ms. Steele."

His eyes narrow. "So sorry, _Ms. Steele._ "

Hannah knocks on the door and enters, bringing their refreshments. When she places Jack Hyde's in front of him, he gives her a wink.

"Thanks, Hannah."

She gives him a bashful smile. "You're welcome, Mr. Hyde."

Anastasia has to force herself not to roll her eyes at the idiot man. "Thank you, Hannah."

"You're welcome, Ms. Steele."

When the door closes, Anastasia sighs and pivots herself so that she is looking directly at him.

"Mr. Hyde, let's just get right to the point. The contract you requested...it's not going to happen."

"Have you read the manuscript?" It's obvious that Jack Hyde is offended.

"Yes, I have and I'll be honest with you. There are already so many books out similar to yours, Mr. Hyde. You're a little too late in the game for us to be able to take such a risk on you. Printing 75,000 copies the first go and shelling out 30% of the revenue to you _before_ we even sell any is unacceptable. I'm not saying that your book won't sell, but your contract isn't logical for us. It looks as if you're just trying to make a quick buck. You're screwing us over."

Jack Hyde stands up. " _I'm_ screwing _you_ over? You're company only wants to print 10,000 of my book at the start and is only offering me 30% of the profits from those _after_ they sell! You're fucking over your clients, _Ms. Steele._ "

She narrows her eyes and stands, keeping her eyes on his. "We're doing no such thing! It's a contract all of our authors sign. The more copies you sell, the more your percentage goes up! The labor and materials for the book are always most expensive during the first print. We have to make _some_ revenue off of this, Mr. Hyde. We will _not_ be signing any contract that you hand us. In fact, after today, I'm not sure I'm willing to sign any contract at all with you. I don't want your name tainting our business."

He leans down, getting in her face, but she refuses to move. "You little bitch." He spats.

XxXxXx

Christian makes his way into SIP, ready to pick Anastasia up for their first doctor's appointment. He's anxious to get the process started for the IVF and relieved that Anastasia is allowing him to be there through each stage of it.

"Hello, Hannah."

Hannah's head moves so fast, Christian wonders if she's given herself whiplash.

"Hello, Mr. Grey!" She jumps out of her seat quickly to greet him and she knocks over her coffee cup, making the liquid go flying across her keyboard, the desk, and the floor. She looks down at her mess and then back up at Christian, blushing profusely. "Oops."

Christian gives her an amused grin. "Looks like it."

He continues past her desk and towards Anastasia's door.

"Ana, are you ready for our doctor's appointme…" His sentence trails off, realizing she's not alone. She's standing awfully close to a tall, blonde male while he looks down at her. His face is too close to hers and the way he's hovering over her doesn't sit well with Christian.

"Christian!" Anastasia's attention leaves Jack Hyde. "Mr. Hyde, this is my friend, Christian Grey. Christian, this is Jack Hyde."

Christian scowls at the man. "Is there a problem here?" He takes a step inside her office.

She shakes her head. "No, Christian. No problem. Just give us a second. We're almost done."

Christian looks from Anastasia to Hyde and back to her, uncertain. Anastasia's cheeks are tinged red with anger and the fucker looks mad as hell. Thank fuck he opened the door when he did. If the asshole would have laid a hand on Anastasia, he'd be broken on the floor by now.

"Christian." Anastasia gets his attention again. "Really. Everything is fine. Just give us another minute."

Christian gives her a curt nod. "I'm leaving the door open."

Anastasia tries to give Christian a smile, but it comes out more like a grimace. He turns and makes his way towards Hannah's desk to lean against it and wait. He doesn't want to get too far in case the fucker tries something.

When Anastasia's attention returns to Jack Hyde's, she sees he's staring at her.

"Doctor's appointment?" His eyes fick down to her stomach and back up to her eyes. "Something your hiding Ms. Steele?"

She rolls her eyes. "It's none of your business, Mr. Hyde. As far as I'm concerned, this meeting is over. I think it'd be best if we went our separate ways. I don't think we're going to agree on a contract. Thank you for stopping by."

He shakes his head. "You don't realize what you're missing, Ms. Steele."

"I understand that you're upset, Mr. Hyde, but I don't see any other solution. Perhaps you should try one of the other publishing houses in Seattle. Now, if you'd excuse me, I really need to leave. I have an appointment to get to." She steps away from him and grabs her cell phone off her desk and her handbag off the hook behind the door.

Anastasia turns around, realizing he hasn't moved.

"Mr. Hyde?" She motions to the door with her hand and he scowls at her and stomps his way to the door.

"This isn't over, Anastasia." He growls, knocking Christian's shoulder with his on his way out. Christian has to take a step back to recover his balance.

"What an asshole." Anastasia mumbles, shutting and locking her office door.

"What did that fucker want?" Christian can feel his anger rising the longer he stands there. Hyde's lucky to still be standing. If they weren't in Anastasia's workplace, his nose would be broken.

"For us to kiss the ground he walks on." Anastasia rolls her eyes and shrugs.

"He isn't contracted under SIP, is he?"

"Oh, god no."

Christian lets out a deep sigh, relieved. "Thank fuck for that." He doesn't want the dickbeater anywhere near Anastasia.

"Hannah, I'm leaving for my doctor's appointment now. I'll be back in the morning. If you need anything, I've got my cell." Anastasia notices that Hannah is cleaning up a spill. "Everything okay?"

Hannah blushes again. Anastasia swears she blushes more often than not. "Everything is fine, Ana. I'll have it cleaned up in a jiffy. Have a good day."

Anastasia gives her a smile. "You, too, Hannah."

The two make their way out and Anastasia snorts when they make it to the door. "At this rate, she's going to break the budget on office supplies with how many keyboards she ends up frying because of you."

Christian grins. "What can I say? When you got it, you got it."

"I hope our child doesn't turn out a cocky asshole like his father."

Christian opens the passenger side door for Anastasia. "Better a cocky asshole than spineless asskisser."

XxXxXx

"Hello, I'm Dr. Evans." Dr. Evans is a friendly looking blonde woman in her fifties with warm green eyes and light smile lines.

"Hello, Dr. Evans. I'm Ana and this is Christian. He's going to be the sperm donor."

The doctor shakes each of their hands. "Wonderful. It's nice to meet both of you. How did your ultrasound go? Did Trish treat you alright? I know these transvaginal ultrasounds can be uncomfortable."

Anastasia smiles at the doctor. "She was lovely. Thank you."

"That's good to hear." Dr. Evans has a seat in her office chair, opposite of Christian and Anastasia. "I want to go over the IVF process with both of you. I'm glad that you brought Christian with you, Ana. Having support is important during this process."

Christian nods. "That's what I'm here for." He reaches over and squeezes Anastasia's hand.

"Now, our first step is for you to take gonadotropin, which is a fertility drug. It'll have to be given in shot form every day and we'll need you to come in every two to three days for ultrasounds while you take it so that we can watch how your follicles form. It'll force your body to release more than one egg, so that we can gather multiple eggs at one time. This stage will last anywhere between eight and fourteen days. You'll also have to take another drug to keep your eggs from releasing too early. That can be taken in pill form, but it can't be taken within two hours of the injection."

"Oh, um, Okay." Anastasia's head is already swimming. It's a lot to take in.

"I know that this can be a confusing time, Ana. Do you have any questions, so far?"

"The fertility drugs… are they going to make me super emotional?"

Dr. Evans smiles. "Yes, unfortunately. It'll be kind of like PMSing, but more intense. You might be weepy one minute, then angry the next. You'll blink and then you'll be happy as a lark."

"Great." Christian is not going to look forward to this.

The doctor laughs. "Of course, some women are more susceptible to its effects than others. You'll just have to wait and see how it works with your body. The more PMS affects you, the more likely you'll feel the effects of these meds."

"Okay." Anastasia gives a nod. This is already such an emotional time for her and now her hormones are only going to heighten her emotional state. Her eyes wander over to Christian and he gives her a smile and squeezes her hand. She really hopes that he has the patience to deal with her through this. Her heightened emotional state might cause friction between them. She doesn't want anything to tear them apart.

"When we see that your follicles are at the right point, we'll give you a trigger shot, that will allow your body to release your eggs and you'll come back three days later for us to retrieve your eggs. We'll have to give you an anesthetic when we do because I'll have to insert a long needle into your vaginal wall so that we can retrieve your eggs. The same day that we retrieve your eggs we'll also be retrieving the sperm donation. Now, Christian, it's important that you don't orgasm for three days prior to the appointment so that we have a greater number of sperm and greater chance of them implanting in the egg."

Christian gives her a nod. "That won't be a problem." Three days really isn't any time at all. He definitely wants to give them the best chance of having a baby.

"Great. We'll take a couple of your eggs and his sperm and they'll sit in the petri dish for three days before we place the fertilized eggs in your uterus. That day, I will want you to relax and take it easy, but after that you'll be able to go back to your normal routine."

Anastasia sighs. "That's a lot of information to take in."

"I know it is, Ana, but we'll take it step-by-step and I have handouts that you can read through."

"How long after implanting the fertilized eggs will we know if we're pregnant or not?" Christian asks, anxious to get to that point.

"Eight to ten days after is when it's best to take a pregnancy test. Any earlier and you might receive a false positive."

Anastasia sits back in her chair and sighs. This is going to be a long process, but it'll be worth it in the end; she's sure of it.

"Now, I'd like to show you how to do your injections. It's important that you do it the correct way so that the medicine is absorbed correctly and it creates the least amount of pain possible."

XxXxXx

Christian relaxes back into the oversized chair in the billiards room, deciding he needs to read something other than contracts and emails for once. It has been such a long time since he's read for pleasure. He has a wall full of books, but for what must be the hundredth time, he chooses his favorite book, _Oliver Twist._ His copy is worn, the pages torn and some trying to fall out, but he's had it since he first learned to read and he refuses to part with it. His mother has bought him new versions, but they lay untouched on the shelves with the rest of the books.

He gets lost in his book and is a good chunk in, when he's interrupted by a throat clearing. Lowering his book, he sees that it's Anastasia.

"Ana? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" He closes his book and lays it on the side table as he stands.

"I can't do it."

His eyebrows knit together. "Can't do what, love?" _Was she changing her mind about the whole IVF process?_

Anastasia holds up her injection pen. "I can't give myself a shot. I just spent an hour trying to psych myself up about it, but I can't. I need you to stab me in the ass with this needle."

Christian laughs. "It would be my pleasure."

She gives him a grin. "I figured you'd say that."

"Let's go in the other room, where there's more light."

She eyes him. "You just want to get a better look at my backside."

He gives her a wink. "That's right, love. Now get in the bedroom, drop your bottoms, and bend over."

"Kitchen." She mouths.

"Always full of surprises, Ms. Steele."

She grabs his arm and pushes him into the hallway. "Just get in the damn kitchen!"

Once in the kitchen, she unbuttons her jeans and shimmies them past her bum while Christian watches. She has on a light blue lace thong and she bends over the counter a bit, making his dick stir.

 _Fuck._

It's been too long since he's seen a woman like this. _Get it together,Grey._ His best friend is counting on him and she wouldn't appreciate him standing and ogling her when he is supposed to be helping her get through a hard time.

He shakes his head, clearing it, and takes the injection pen and alcohol wipe off the counter.

She looks over her shoulder at him. "Please, be nice."

"I'll try. Are you ready?"

She whimpers. _She hates needles._ "Yes. I think so."

Christian steps closer to her and chooses a spot on her left asscheek. He tears the alcohol wipe open and places it on her skin, making her jump.

"Relax, Ana." This girl is a mess. He's worried that if she jumps like that when he gives her injection, the needle might break off. _He needs to find a way to keep her attention elsewhere._

"I'm sorry, Christian. I'm trying. I'm okay now." She knows she's too jumpy and needs to take this like a woman. She gives herself a mental peptalk, telling herself she can do this. That the baby is worth this.

Suddenly, his hand collides hard with her right cheek. "OUCH! What the hell are you doing?" She looks over her shoulder at him, murder in her eyes.

"It's done."

"What's done?" She asks too loud. Her voice echoes off the empty walls of his apartment. _She's pissed._

He takes a step back and shows her the pen.

"You did it?" Anastasia is surprised that she didn't notice.

"Yep." Christian gives her a lopsided grin.

"Did you have to hit me?" She rubs her sore, warm, pink asscheek before pulling her jeans back up.

He watches and laughs. "It distracted you, didn't it? Now, you know that the injections aren't so bad. Think you can do it yourself next time?"

She looks down at the pen in his hand and back up to him.

He gives her a smirk. "How about I drop by your work during lunch tomorrow to give you your next one."

Anastasia gives him a grateful smile and nods.

Wrapping her in a hug, he kisses the top of her head. "You're a hot mess, girl."

She giggles against his chest. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd probably be dead by now." Christian teases. She might be a mess right now, but there were times where he found himself in a similar state and she was there to take care of him. They look out for one another and have learned to navigate through life together by leaning on each other for support. _That's what friends are for._

 **Teaser? Just ask.**


	10. Chapter 10

Anastasia is six days into her injections and she's really feeling the emotional effects of the medication. She has been so weepy for the last four days that she cried herself to sleep the night before. She knows that it's the drugs, but no matter how logical she tries to be about it, she can't manage to logic the feeling away.

Christian has been working late every night this week, mentioning something about how to sustain the nutrients in soil longer while saving more of the water supply for drinking in rural African areas, so she's seen very little of him, only seeing him during lunch so that he can give her the injection before he disappears again. This is making her extremely lonely. She's been trying to strike up a conversation with Hannah, her PA, but Hannah gives her a weird look every time she tries.

Once the clock strikes 3:00pm, she decides to call it a day and heads home to hide in bed for awhile. She wants to mope about and have a small pity party for herself while no one is watching. She grabs her package of double stuffed Oreos, a bottle of water, and her cell before shutting herself up in her room to watch a pay-per-view movie. After changing into some cotton shorts and an oversized t-shirt, she snuggles up in bed and turns on one of her favorite movies, _The Proposal._ No matter how many times she watches it, she can't help, but laugh at everything Betty White's character does.

As it begins, she props herself up and opens her oreos to munch. She grins and she nibbles on her cookie. "This is kind of nice." Very rarely does she do stuff like this and, in a way, it's kind of therapeutic.

XxXxXx

Christian knows he's been neglecting Anastasia this week. The last two days, it has been obvious that her mood has shifted to the sad side. She's tried to hide it, but he knows her better than that. This is terrible timing for him to be so busy. He's ecstatic that the agricultural department at the university has made a breakthrough, but it's not the best timing. Anastasia is a strong woman, though, and he knows that she is more than capable of dealing with this on her own. _That doesn't mean she should have to._

"Alright guys, that's a wrap. We'll see you next Friday." Ros closes the final meeting of the week and Christian decides to surprise Anastasia at her office and see if she's willing to play hooky and leave work a couple of hours early.

After letting Taylor know that he's headed to SIP, he grabs his jacket, locks his office and makes his way to her office on foot, which is just down the street from Grey House.

"Hello, Hannah." He gives Hannah a smile as he approaches the desk.

Hannah grins and pops out of her seat like she always does when he enters. Luckily, there is no liquid to spill today. "Hello, Mr. Grey. What can I assist you with?"

"Ana busy?"

Hannah's eyebrows raise. "Um, Ana's not here."

"What?"

"She went home."

He worries his lip. "When?"

"About three."

"Was she sick?"

She shrugs. "Not sure."

Christian is now worried about his best friend. _Why didn't she say anything to him?_ "Thanks, Hannah."

He makes his way back to his car and jumps in, deciding to head straight for her apartment. Ten minutes later, he's unlocking her apartment to check on her and finds her in her bedroom.

"Ana?"

She jumps. "Christian?" She gives him a large smile, pushes her oreos to the side, and hurries over to hug him. "I didn't even hear you come in."

He wraps her in his arms. "I went to SIP and Hannah said you went home early. Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

She releases him and climbs back into her bed, getting comfortable. "These injections are making me so weepy and lonely. I couldn't concentrate, so I decided to come home and drown my sorrows in a package of oreos and a good movie."

Christian feels guilty. "You're lonely? Oh, Ana...I'm sorry." He slips his shoes off and slips into bed beside her.

She shrugs it off. "I know it's the medication, I just wish that my heart would listen to my brain."

"You can't help it, love."

"I tried to make small talk today with Hannah, but she just looked at me as if I lost my mind."

Christian snorts. "Can you blame her? She's probably suspicious."

"Don't laugh at me." She pouts pathetically. "I'm hormonal. Hug me. Hold me. Love on me." She rolls over and clings to him and he laughs.

"It sounds like someone needs a boyfriend."

Anastasia stops in mid-squeeze and her arms relax before she pulls away. "You're right."

"Ana?"

"I've been treating you like a boyfriend. Like it's your responsibility to take care of me."

"Ana, no. I was just teasing." He reaches forward and pulls her closer to him, but she struggles against his arm. "Ana, please don't. I'm sorry."

She shakes her head. "Don't be sorry, Christian."

"Then get your ass over here." Christian demands.

She eyes him for a second and then sighs, turning away from him and scooting back until she's pressed up against him.

He spoons her and presses a kiss to the back of her head. "You're going to be carrying my child, Anastasia. It _is_ my responsibility. I'm here to support you. It's what I want to do."

Anastasia forces the urge to cry away for the moment. She tries to tell herself that she's being overly emotional because of the injections, but she can't keep the guilt from nagging her chest.

"Can I be the big spoon?" She asks, turning her head to look at him.

He snorts. "Nope."

She rolls her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because I'm the man."

"Oh, brother. It isn't emasculating to be spooned, Christian."

"Yes, it is."

A small smile forms on her face at his words. He always has to be in control. To be dominant. "This isn't over, Grey."

He chuckles. "We'll see about that...now relax and go to sleep. It's naptime."

XxXxXx

On Sunday, Anastasia stands in her bathroom after her shower, trying to psych herself up. Today, she's determined to give herself a shot. She wants to be more independent. It isn't healthy for her to depend on Christian so much during this time. She's a strong woman, she can do this herself.

She takes the alcohol wipe and cleans the area, then takes the injection pen and screws on a new needle top.

"You can do this, Steele. You've got this." _She hates needles._ "Stop being such a baby." She pivots herself so she can see in the mirror and holds the pen steady. "One...two...three." Her hand comes down, but she second guesses herself and it stops a centimeter from her skin.

"Damn it!"

"Anastasia?" Christian is standing at her bathroom door, confused. She was supposed to be at his apartment a half-an-hour ago so that he could administer her shot, but she never showed. He called, but she didn't answer.

"Christian! Why do you always have to burst into my apartment?" She scowls at him.

"You weren't answering your phone. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Realizing she isn't in anything but a shirt and lacy little underwear, he looks away. _He really needs to get laid._ He seems to get turned on over the tiniest things these days.

"I'm fine." Anastasia says, pulling her shirt down over her panties. "I just wanted to do the injection myself."

Christian's eyes meet hers and he cocks an eyebrow at her. "And how's that going for you?"

She lets out a frustrated growl, slams the pen down on the counter, and has a seat beside it. "Why can't I do it myself?"

"Because you have a fear of needles."

Tears fill her eyes and she looks down at her hands. "My baby should be more important than a few injections." Her voice cracks.

"The baby _is_ more important, Ana…" He steps towards her and she rests her forehead against his chest. "Everyone has their weaknesses, love. That's why it's so important for everyone to have a support system. I'm here to support you. Let me help you."

She sniffles. "I hate this. I hate having to depend on you. I should do this myself."

His jaw clenches, realizing. "Ana, is this about my comment on Friday? It was a joke! Please, stop dwelling on that. I should have been more considerate of your feelings." The injections are making her so sensitive and he isn't used to that. She usually takes all his jokes in stride and even comes back with a few of her own.

"This baby is my responsibility, Christian." As she sits up straight, her shirt rises, showing the small swatch of underwear between her legs. He looks up at the ceiling and clenches his eyes shut, trying to focus.

"This baby is _our_ responsibility, Ana. It's our baby. You're my best friend and you're going to be carrying my child...making you my responsibility, as well."

"Well, I don't like it." She picks at the button of his shirt.

"Tough shit, Anastasia." He grabs the injection pen off the counter. "Now hop up so I can stab you in the ass."

XxXxXx

Christian has been a walking hard-on since he caught Anastasia in her panties last Sunday and masturbation has done nothing to help. It's been months since he's had a woman and he knows that if he doesn't get laid soon, he might end up going fucking crazy. _He needs a good fuck._

While in a meeting with Taylor this afternoon, his friend, Aubrey, left him a voicemail saying that she's in town for the weekend. The relief he feels is immediate. It's exactly what he needs. He and Aubrey always find time to meet up when they're in the same city...usually to fall into bed once or twice before the other leaves.

Grabbing his phone, he texts her.

 _*Hey, Aub. How's 7:00 pm sound?*_

He gets a text back almost immediately. _*Perfect.*_

He grins. _Aubrey with the auburn hair and honey eyes._ He's ready to let out some aggression on that body of hers. His sexual frustration has pent up for far too long.

Rubbing his hands together, he heads to the kitchen to grab some dinner before hitting the shower. _He needs to fuel for later._

XxXxXx

Christian greets Aubrey when she enters through the elevator.

"It's nice to see you, Aubrey." He leans down and presses his lips to hers.

"You, too, Christian. I've missed you." Aubrey gives him a salacious grin.

"Missed me or missed my body?" He teases.

"What's the difference?"

At her words, a breath of air is forced out of him in a sudden exhale. _What's the difference?_ Isn't he more than just a shell of a body? He knows past his exterior, there isn't much special about him, but for her to say it so bluntly makes his chest twinge slightly. It's very obvious that Aubrey is here for one thing and one thing only.

 _So is he._

 _Don't forget that, Grey._

He composes quickly and gives her a grin. "Wine, Ms. Alexander?"

She hums. "That sounds wonderful, Mr. Grey. You always have such exquisite choices."

She's stroking his ego and he can't help, but feel a little smug as they make their way towards the kitchen to choose a wine. _Only the best for him._

When they have a seat on the couch with their wine, Aubrey doesn't take any time sliding in close and finding his lips.

After his surprise subsides, he leans into the kiss and begins to enjoy himself. Luckily, they've been together enough for her to know his boundaries and she keeps her hands on his thighs, massaging them as their kiss deepens. Her hands wander up to his belt and she begins to unbuckle it. He pulls away.

"Impatient little thing." He says, taking her hands.

She gives him a smile. "I was hoping we'd enjoy each other a few times tonight."

He chews on his bottom lip. He knows she's willing and ready, but he isn't as aroused as she is. She keeps pressing her thighs together and wiggling on the couch and he knows she's begging to be touched. _But he can't._ What the fuck is wrong with him? He's walked around with a semi for over a week and now, it's flaccid...bored.

"Nothing's wrong with a little foreplay, Ms. Alexander." _Maybe if they kiss a little longer, it'll help._ He takes both of her hands in one of his and moves her with the other, laying her down on the couch so he can lay on top of her. His lips find hers again and she grinds into him with a moan. He relaxes against her, enjoying the way she reacts to him. He loves to make women squirm.

He hears the bell of the elevator and he pulls his lips off of hers.

Aubrey whimpers. "Christian...Don't stop." She's breathless.

"Hush." He pushes himself up on his elbows and looks over his shoulder in just enough time to see Anastasia making her way from the foyer.

Anastasia stops, seeing the two of them. Her eyes widen and she takes a couple steps back and then turns away, heading back to the foyer. She's completely shocked and wants to get away from the situation.

"Ana! Ana, stop!" Christian jumps off the couch to catch her and finds her at the elevator door. "Ana..."

She turns towards him. "I'm sorry for interrupting, Christian. I had no idea…" She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll leave you two alone." Turning around, she jabs at the elevator button and it opens. She climbs into the elevator and hits the button to his garage, but he holds the door open with his hand.

"Ana, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were coming."

She shakes her head and gives him a forced smile. "It's fine. I shouldn't have come." She looks him over and her eyes fall on his open belt. The button on his jeans is popped open and she can see the waistband of his Calvin Kleins. She squeezes her eyes closed as a sharp pain stabs her in the chest. _She needs to get away._ All she wants to do is get away from him so she can fall apart in peace.

He follows her eyes and realizes what she's staring at. He hurries to right his button and belt. "Sorry. Did you need something?"

She shakes her head and swallows hard. "Nope." Her eyes meet his again.

"Ana…" He hates that she's caught him in this situation. It's been years since either one of them have walked in on each other during something like this. He knows how emotional she is right now and he doesn't want to upset her.

"It's rude to leave her waiting, Christian. I'll talk to you later." She tries to push his hand out of the way of the door, but he refuses to budge.

"Tomorrow?"

She nods.

"Ana…"

"Yes, okay? Tomorrow, I promise."

He gives her a relieved smile and leans in, but she places her hand against his lips. "No."

It's the first time she's ever denied him and he's hurt by it, but he understands. He just had his tongue down another woman's throat. He shouldn't have even tried to seal the promise.

"Okay, tomorrow." He releases the door and watches her as she disappears behind the elevator door.

"Christian? What's going on?" Aubrey is standing at the foyer door.

He runs his fingers through his hair and yanks. The slight boner he had is gone and will not be coming back tonight. He can't possibly enjoy himself when Anastasia left so hurt.

Christian turns toward Aubrey. "I think it'd be best if you left, Aubrey. I'm sorry."

"Who was that? Was that Anastasia?" She knows that he has a best friend with that name, but she's never met her. "She's pretty."

"She's gorgeous." He looks back toward the elevator doors. "But she's upset and I just can't...not while...I'm sorry."

Aubrey chews her lip for a moment and then nods. "I'll just get my handbag."

"I'll call the valet to pull your car around." Since Aubrey doesn't have his codes for the parking garage or his apartment, she has to leave her car with the valet, sign in at the concierge desk, and be escorted to the elevator.

When she's ready, he walks her to the elevator. "I'm sorry, Aubrey. Have a good night." He leans down and kisses her cheek.

She presses her lips together and Christian knows she's disappointed, but he can't bother to care right now. "Goodbye, Christian."

"Bye."

When the elevator closes, he turns to find some bourbon in the kitchen.

"Mr. Grey?"

"Yes, Taylor."

"Ms. Steele hasn't left the parking garage, yet."

Christian stops midway through his pour and looks at Taylor. "She hasn't?"

Taylor shakes his head.

Christian runs for the elevator, but it's still on it's way down to the lobby with Aubrey in it.

"Fuck."

"The freight elevator, Christian." Taylor states, helping.

XxXxXx

Anastasia is sitting in her SUV, trying to compose herself. She barely made it to her car before bursting into sobs. This is why she didn't want him to be the donor. This is too hard. This part of their lives should remain separate. She shouldn't have to worry about who he's sleeping with and what he's doing when she's not around. It shouldn't be her business, but she feels affected by it now that he's going to be the father of her child.

It is killing her that he is upstairs with another woman while she's sitting in her car, sobbing like a lunatic. It was so painful to see him on top of another woman. She's made a mistake. He can't be her sperm donor. _This is too fucked up._

The driver's side door gets yanked open, making Anastasia scream.

"It's just me, Ana." Christian puts his hands up. "Come on, love. Get out of the car."

She smacks his hands away. "No, I'm going to go home." She grabs for her keys in the center console and tries to stick them in the ignition.

"No, Anastasia! You can't drive like this." He grabs her and starts to pull her out of the car.

"No! Christian, no! Leave me alone! Stop it!" Her keys fall to the floorboard and she fights him, trying to kick and push him away, but he manages to drag her out of the car and throw her over his shoulder.

"You're coming inside."

"I don't want to. Please, please don't." She punches him in the kidney as she's hanging upside down over his shoulder and he hisses. Once he has her in the freight elevator he puts her down, but she tries to hit the 'door open' button before it closes. He wraps his arms around her, keeping her arms pinned to her sides and holds her back against him as she struggles.

"You can't kidnap me!"

Her comment actually makes him laugh. "Ana, I'm your best friend. I'm not kidnapping you! I'm keeping you from killing yourself in that god-damned car!"

Anastasia finally relaxes and quits fighting. "Can't you just take me home?"

"No."

She turns in his arms and looks up at him. "Christian…?" She wants to beg, but she's exhausted. She's hurt and confused.

"You'll stay with me."

Her head drops to his chest and she cries into it. He's warm, but it isn't inviting; she's too hot from fighting him. He smells like Christian, but with a hint of Chanel mixed in, making what she just witnessed play in her head again. No comfort can come from a mixture of him and another woman.

"You reek." She pulls her head off of him and he allows her to take a step back.

He pulls his shirt up to his nose and smelling the faint perfume, he pulls his t-shirt off. "I'm sorry, Ana."

She sniffles and wipes at her nose. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Christian gives Anastasia an incredulous look. "If I haven't done anything wrong, then why are you so upset?"

"I…" She pushes her hair away from her face. "I don't know. It must just be the hormones." As the elevator doors open she steps into his apartment and goes straight to the hall bathroom to clean up.

Christian waits outside of it, worried she's going to try to make a break for it. When she reappears, he puts an arm around her and escorts her towards his bedroom.

"Taylor, retrieve Anastasia's things out of her vehicle." Christian states, seeing Taylor standing in the kitchen on their way to the room.

"Yes, sir."

Once they're in his bedroom, he shuts the door behind them.

"Ana, tell me what's going on."

She turns away from him, her arms wrapped around herself. "I don't know, Christian. Everything is so fucked up."

"What does that mean?"

"It means…" She turns toward him. "It means I knew this donor thing was a bad idea."

"What?"

"I came here tonight to tell you that the doctor said I'm ready for my trigger shot. I'm supposed to take it tomorrow afternoon."

A smile forms on his face. "Really? Oh, Ana, that's great!" He takes a step toward her to hug her, but she steps away.

"No, it isn't."

"What? Why?"

"Because...I...I don't think that you being the donor is a good idea anymore."

His heart drops into his stomach. "No...No, Ana, no. You promised. We sealed it! I'm sorry I fucked up! If you'd just listen to why-"

"No, I don't want to hear why. You didn't do anything wrong, you really didn't. We aren't together, Christian. You don't need to explain why you want to fuck some girl. Tonight just reminded me how difficult this is going to be...

"I knew our friendship was going to be fragile because of this, but I never thought about how I'd feel about you being with other women. I'm stuck being pregnant and single, because no man in their right mind would want to be with a woman who's pregnant with someone else's baby! Especially when they find out it's yours! And you get to go along, unaffected by it while you fuck every woman you can get your hands on!"

"Ana!"

"I'm not finished!" Anastasia barks at him and his mouth clicks shut.

"Then, when I have the baby, my whole life is going to be the baby. There won't be any time to date or get to know anyone new. My energy is going to go to the baby and I know that and I'm okay with that, but the thought of having to do this by myself while you run around doing whatever you please makes me resent you...and I don't want that.

"If you aren't my donor, then we can both move ahead like normal. You can do what you do with females and I can concentrate on my child, alone. I can't be angry with you or even a little jealous of the freedom you have. I'm already so emotionally invested in you and if I'm carrying your baby, it's just going to get worse. I'm not going to be able to bear seeing you with other women while I'm carrying a child that's half you and half me." Anastasia's lip trembles and she collapses in his armchair by the windows. "I just can't. There needs to be a line in the sand for us and you being my donor is past that line."

"No, no, Ana. No. I fucked up. I started to realize that before you even came through the door." He kneels at her feet and rests his arms on her thighs, taking her hands. "Please don't take this baby away from me. Please. I want this baby so much. I want this baby with you. If you have to punish me, then punish me any other way, but this.

"I've been so sexually driven this past week that I felt like I was going crazy. Aubrey called and I just thought I could get a quick fuck in." Anastasia hisses and looks the other way, but he keeps going. "But when she got here and we started kissing, I wasn't turned on...I couldn't even get hard. I was trying, but I just couldn't. My body was rejecting her. Subconsciously, I knew what I was doing was wrong. I haven't had sex in such a long time, but it wasn't right. She wasn't what I wanted. I don't know what I wanted...but it wasn't her.

"Please...please, please, please don't use another donor. This will kill me, Ana." Christian swallows back the ball forming in the back of his throat and tears fill his eyes. "I need this just as much as you do. I swear to you that I will be here for you and our child 100%. I won't be with anyone else. I don't want to be. This is our journey and I want to dedicate all of my time and effort to you and the baby."

Anastasia snorts. "You're saying you're going to give up fucking women for your pregnant best friend?" She has a hard time believing it.

Christian sniffles and nods. "Yes, I am, Ana. This has made me change. I've realized I don't want casual encounters with random women. I want more than that. I want a family. This child has made me see that family life is so much better than the life I've been living. Hell, the baby isn't even here, yet, but I love them so much. I want to be a good father to the baby and a good partner and best friend to you. We're going to raise our baby together. I promise that I won't let anything get in the way. Especially another woman. Please, don't take this away from me."

Anastasia searches his eyes and reaches up to wipe away his tears. "Christian…" She doesn't know what to say or think.

"You know, the first thing she said to me tonight was that she missed me and when I asked her if she missed me or my body, she asked me if there was a difference."

"Oh, Christian…" She wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him to her. Her heart aches for her best friend.

"It bothered me, Ana. It bothered me more than I'd like to admit, but it made me realize that I couldn't continue on like this."

"You're beauty is so much more than skin deep, you know that, don't you?" She pulls back to look at him in the eye. "You are such a beautiful person, Christian. If she doesn't bother to know what's below the skin, then fuck her. She doesn't even deserve a good lay from you. You deserve better. You deserve someone who adores you and your work...who appreciates how hard you love your family and how soft your heart is for those who are suffering. Find someone who is in love with your brilliance and generosity...someone who won't take you for granted and who will build their life around you. You're the most incredible man I know and you deserve the most incredible woman." Someday, she'll make him see just how precious he is. She might have to knock some sense into him a few times, but she's determined to.

Christian searches her eyes. "Have my baby." He can't bother to think about life past this if he's denied this little miracle. If she truly thinks he's as wonderful as she says he is, then she can't say no.

She sighs and gives him a small smile. "Okay."

"Oh, thank fuck." He launches himself at her, knocking her back in the chair and hugs her fiercely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He tells her over and over again, pressing his face into her neck.

She holds him to her, feeling a ton lighter than she had twenty minutes prior. "We're going to have a baby." She giggles as she says it out loud.

He pulls away enough to see her face. "What day do we go?"

"Tuesday."

"And then?"

She giggles again, enjoying his excitement. "Friday, I'll have two little embryos placed in my womb."

He laughs. "I can't wait. You'll come back here and rest. Doctor's orders, remember?"

Anastasia rolls her eyes. "I remember."

"Want to watch a movie?" Christian wants the memory of earlier erased from his memory.

"Sure."

He pulls her out of the chair and she slips her shoes and bra off before climbing into his bed beside him. She grabs the remote and turns on his television.

"What do you want to watch?"

Christian reaches over and pulls her back against him, spooning her. He buries his face in her neck and breathes deep, breathing her in. "Don't care."

"Can I be the big spoon?" She giggles as she asks, knowing his answer.

"Maybe later."

"Really?" She perks up.

"No."

Her body sags. "Fine. _Twilight_ it is."

He groans at her choice.

 **A/N: I know that this chapter won't be a favorite for a lot of you, but it can't be all hearts and flowers all the time. Something had to happen for them to change their way of thinking.**

 **Chapter 11 Teaser? Let me know.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Today's the day!" Anastasia is excited to start the next phase of her IVF. This morning, she'll be put under anesthesia and they'll retrieve the eggs that her body has produced over the last couple of weeks. She is more than ready to get rid of them. Her stomach is distended and sore from the amount of eggs her anatomy has produced and she's ready for the bloat and sensitivity to subside.

Christian grins from the driver's seat of his R8 as she hops in. "Good morning to you, too, Ana."

"Are you ready for today?" She asks, buckling her seat belt. She's smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt.

"I am." He answers, checking that her seatbelt is latched correctly. He first started doing this when they got their driver's licenses and she used to fight him on it, but she's long given up on it. It seems to be a kind of OCD for him and since it makes him feel better, she deals with it.

"And you haven't ejaculated in three days, right?" Anastasia wants to make sure they have their best chance at this.

"Jesus, Ana. No. I haven't." Although they have few boundaries, Christian can't help, but feel a little violated by this question. It's really none of her business when he masturbates and he is well aware of the doctor's directions.

She giggles. "Good. On to the doctors then." In three days they'll be heading back so that Dr. Evan's can place two of her eggs back inside of her womb. In eight days, she could be taking a pregnancy test that reads positive. _God, she is so ready._

After they sign into the doctor's office, they both get an armband identifying each of them and they're taken back to the procedure room, where Anastasia is told to change into a hospital gown. When she's back in her hospital bed and comfortable, the nurse returns to do her IV.

"We're going to be putting you under some light sedation while the doctor retrieves your eggs. Once you're asleep, the process should only take about forty-five minutes and the sedation is rather light, so you should be awake and ready to get dressed within the hour after. Now, I want to go over some instructions with you before you go under in case you have a hard time retaining information after your anesthesia. I'll also give you a handout for you to keep." The nurse hands the instruction page to Christian for safe keeping.

"The doctor usually puts patients on hormones to help prepare the endometrial lining for the embryos, but because you have endometriosis, she doesn't feel comfortable with that, so the only medication you'll be leaving with today is an antibiotic that she'll want you to take for a few days afterward to decrease the chance of infection. You'll need to have him drive you home and it's recommended that you go home and rest for the remainder of the day. Do not use tampons, sit in bodies of water...including bathtubs, or have sex after this procedure. You'll have cramping and probably spot a little. You can use pads for your spotting."

The nurse turns her attention to Christian. "Mr. Grey, after Ms. Steele is awake and doing well, we'll ask you to go and give us a sperm specimen. You can either stay here and do it or we have rooms that contain products to help."

Anastasia snorts. "What does that mean?"

Christian squeezes his eyes shut. _Don't make her say it._

"Well, Ms. Steele, it means that we have rooms that have televisions where he can watch porn and a rack of magazines he can choose from to help him along. No one enjoys this experience and we've found that these products help relieve the stress for the men who are needing to give us samples."

Anastasia's face reddens. "Got it."

Christian can understand why many men have a problem with this. There is a doctor, multiple nurses, and a woman all waiting for the donation and they all know what the man is in the other room is doing. It's not much different than having to perform in front of an audience. _Stage fright._ Hopefully, he'll be able to perform when it comes down to it.

XxXxXx

As Anastasia recovers from her anesthesia, the doctor comes in to give them an update.

"How are you feeling, Anastasia?"

Anastasia gives Dr. Evans a groggy smile. "Drowsy, but good."

"Great. We managed to collect eleven of your eggs. At this point, we don't know if all of them are viable, but we'll pick two that are in the best shape and place them with Christian's donation to be fertilized. The others we will keep for future IVF cycles if need be."

She's relieved. "That's good news. Thank you, Dr. Evans."

Dr. Evans gives her a warm smile and turns to Christian. "Now, Christian, it's your turn. You'll need to take this cup and this wipe and I'll need you to wipe the head of your penis clean before you begin masturbating. Have you decided if you'd like one of those rooms or do you want to do it here?"

Christian chews his lip. The thought of masturbating in a room where hundreds...maybe even thousands of men have beat their dick doesn't sound cleanly. He's never been one to enjoy pornographic videos. The women in them are always so melodramatic and making the most ridiculous faces he's ever seen. He's always appreciated magazines like _Playboy_ but he can only imagine what type of filth is stuck on those pages from others while they thumbed through them.

"If it's alright, I think I'd rather do it here...in the bathroom." He doesn't want to do it in front of Anastasia either. That would be too awkward.

Dr. Evans nods. "That's fine. Just hit Anastasia's call light when you are finished." She hands him the cup and the wipe and disappears, shutting the door behind her.

Christian's eyes meet Anastasia's and she wiggles her eyebrows. "Good luck, tiger."

"Thanks, I might need it."

She giggles. "Would it help if I flashed you before you went in?"

He gives her a wink. "Can you strut around in those tiny thongs you like to wear? Maybe bounce up and down a little?"

She gasps. "Christian!" She throws a piece of ice at him.

He dodges the piece of ice and laughs. "You offered!"

Rolling her eyes, she chews on a piece of ice. "Just get in there and do your job."

He sighs, dramatically. "Fine."

"I'll be in here rooting for you!" Anastasia calls loudly as he shuts the bathroom door.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. _How the fuck is he supposed to do this now?_

Christian is suddenly feeling the pressure. If he takes too long, then they'll know he had trouble, but if he comes too fast, they'll think he gets some weird kinky satisfaction out of masturbating in public places. _Why the fuck does he care so much?_ This is supposed to be about Anastasia, him, and their baby.

He unbuckles his belt and unzips his jeans, pulling them down enough to release his dick. He has a seat on the toilet lid and sighs. _Do this, Grey. This is important. Everyone is counting on him._

Before he begins, he tears open the packet containing the wipe and cleans the head of his penis off like the doctor instructed. He throws it in the trash beside him and relaxes back, taking a deep, cleansing breath.

Closing his eyes, he takes himself in his hand and squeezes. He runs through a couple of vivid memories of him and his past fuck buddies and he gets harder, but he can't get in the mood completely. He really doesn't understand why his past conquests are no longer attractive to him. He knows he wants more than he used to, but the girls were beautiful and any man would enjoy seeing them naked. _Boredom_ he tells himself. He needs something new to concentrate on.

Although he knows he's treading dangerous waters, he allows himself to recall the memory of Anastasia standing at her bathroom sink in nothing, but a shirt and her tiny panties. The way her shirt rode up while she sat on the counter, the small swatch of fabric between her legs peeking out from underneath the shirt. He knew by the way it laid against her center that she was bare. If she would have just parted them a little more, he might have been able to see the indentation of her slit or even her clit if he had been lucky. He bets she smells phenomenal when she's aroused.

His dick grows quickly in his hand and bobs a little.

 _Fuck._

Why is he finding her so damn sexy all of a sudden?

 _Don't dwell on it, Grey._

He continues to picture Anastasia in her panties, this time in the thong she was wearing the first time he administered her shot. That sweet, light blue lace thong tracing the tops of her sexy little ass cheeks...and the way her alabaster skin turned the sweetest shade of pink after he spanked her.

He can now feel his heartbeat in his dick as his hand moves up and down his shaft, squeezing. Thinking of Anastasia is working, although a part of him feels guilty. Not guilty enough to stop, of course.

He replays the moment where she began to get comfortable with him administering the injections.

 _Anastasia teases him by shimmying her dress up to her waist and shaking her ass at him as she stands in front of her desk at SIP. She's wearing blush pink lacy cheeky underwear and he smacks her ass to make her still. The lacy number she's wearing is covering the injection site and he has to pull them down a tad to give her the dose. Her backside is so soft against the tips of his fingers. She's got the softest skin he's ever touched. He wants to explore her body...wants to see if every inch of her skin is this soft. He can't help, but let his finger tip run over her skin a few times and almost groans when he sees goosebumps form on her skin from his touch._

Christian begins to pant and can feel that he's almost there. His hand begins to move faster and he squeezes his eyes shut, pulling up his favorite memory of the past two weeks.

 _Anastasia stands in her bedroom the morning after she left work early from being lonely and upset. He spent the night spooning her and wants to give her the shot before they both go their separate ways for the day. She shimmies her shorts and panties down below the bottom swell of her ass and he sees that she has a bruise from the shot he gave her the day before. He's upset and he tells her so, running the pad of his thumb over the bruise softly. She tells him it doesn't hurt, but that doesn't stop him from kneeling down and pressing his lips to the bruise. She's surprised, but her body shivers under his lips and it's gratifying to see her react to him that way. He tells her that the kiss will make the bruise fade faster and after he gives her a shot in the opposite cheek, he follows it with another kiss, telling her it'll keep it from bruising. She does her famous eye roll at him and bites her plump bottom lip...the one that's the same color as her favorite bubble gum...and it makes his jeans uncomfortably tight._

What would it feel like to be able to bite that lip for her? To be able to suck on it while he feels the moan come out of her mouth, resonating from her throat? How would his name sound coming from her lips as he makes her writhe in pleasure under him?

"Fuck." He hisses and hurries to place the tip of his dick in the cup as he comes long and hard into it, his stomach spasming with each ribbon that shoots out.

He's panting when he finishes and after he places the top on the cup, he places it on the sink and takes a few extra seconds to catch his breath. Finally, he cleans off his tip with some toilet paper and pulls his pants up, righting his clothes. He washes and dries his hands and finally makes his way out of the bathroom, feeling like he's doing the walk of shame the morning after.

Anastasia is playing on her cell phone when he comes out and she turns her head when she hears him.

"So? How'd it go?" She smiles and bites her bottom lip, causing him to look away.

Christian shrugs. "It went." He holds the cup up and she gives him a big, cheesy smile.

"Great! Good job." She hits her call light, eager to get her eggs fertilized. "Let me see!"

His eyes widen. "You want to see?"

Giggling, she holds out her hand. "Yes! I deserve to see what's going to be attacking my fragile little eggs."

Snorting, he hands the cup over.

Anastasia beams at him. "I'm so excited!" She holds the cup closer. "Do your job, fellas."

Christian rolls his eyes at her. "Of course they're going to do their job. They're mine, aren't they?"

XxXxXx

Three days later, Christian drives them back to the clinic so that Anastasia can receive the embryos.

"The good news is that Christian has a high sperm count, so there isn't any worry there." Dr. Evans tells them, looking over their chart.

Christian places his hands on his hips and beams. "I knew we had nothing to worry about." He feels cocky as hell.

Anastasia ignores him. He doesn't need anyone else stroking his ego. "You said the good news...so what's the bad news then?"

Dr. Evans sighs. "Well, the bad news is that four of your eggs were non-viable, so we're down to seven. If, for whatever reason, these two eggs don't attach to the uterine wall, we'll only have five more eggs to work with going forward."

"We won't need any more than that." Christian states, convinced. "This will work, Anastasia. You won't have to do anymore fertility treatments."

Anastasia chews her lip, but nods. She doesn't know how he can be so sure. Her uterus is scarred and they only have a 60% chance of this working. She knows she needs to try to be optimistic about this, though.

"If you're ready, the nurse will take you back and get you put into your gown so that we can transfer the embryos back into your uterus."

Anastasia looks up at Christian needing some comfort, unable to shake the sadness in her chest from the doctor's news. She knows she doesn't have enough money to go through all the fertility stuff again, so this is her only chance. Her chest tightens knowing, but she refuses to cry. Instead, she takes a cleansing breath and hugs Christian, hoping the closeness will help.

"You'll do great, love."

She leans up and pecks his lips. "A good luck kiss."

He grins. "Yes, good luck." He reaches down and squeezes her hand before they're separated.

Christian waits impatiently for almost an hour while Anastasia is in the exam room. His leg shakes the whole time and he's chewed his thumbnail down to the quick. He's getting too antsy. He needs to move.

He stands and begins to pace, but it doesn't last long. On his third pace across the waiting room, Anastasia comes out from the back.

"Finally." He hurries to her and puts an arm around her, trying to help her walk. "How do you feel?"

Anastasia giggles. "I'm fine, Christian. I can walk."

He ignores her and escorts her to the car with his arm around her. He buckles her in the passengers side and settles himself behind the steering wheel.

"So...they're in there?" He looks down at her stomach.

She gives him an amused grin. "Yes, Christian."

Reaching over, he rests his hand just above the waistband of her jeans. "This is so surreal, Ana." He rubs her stomach. "In eight days we could be finding out that you're pregnant. We could be having a baby in nine months time."

She smiles down at his hand and rests her hand on top of his. "I know. I've got butterflies at the thought. Thank you so much, Christian. I don't even know how to ever repay you."

Christian shakes his head. "Thank you, Ana. The baby is payment enough. This child will be priceless. You're going to be carrying something so precious, Anastasia...I'm the one who will forever be in your debt."

Leaning over, she cups his face and kisses him softly. She pulls back, thinks twice and presses her lips to his again. When she pulls away, her cheekbones are tinged pink and she bites her lip and looks out the passenger window.

He's frozen in his spot, confused at what just happened. _She's just happy._ She just wanted to show her appreciation. _That's it._

"I'm hungry, Christian. Can we grab something to eat before we head to your place?"

He clears his throat, forcing himself back to the present. "No, Ana. Gail is making something. You need to rest." He's happy to hear that she's hungry. _She needs to eat._ He knows that there will probably be more than a couple fights regarding food when she becomes pregnant. He'll want her to eat more than she'll be willing to, but he's hoping that he'll win. He can't bear to think of his child being malnourished or hungry while in the womb. Hopefully, Anastasia will know what's best for the mother's instinct will kick in and she'll want to eat.

When they return to Escala, he escorts her straight to the bedroom while Gail makes lunch for them.

"I've got a surprise for you."

Anastasia's eyebrows knit together. "A surprise?"

He nods and gives her a smile as he opens the door to his bathroom. Sitting in the middle of the bathroom is a professional pedicure chair.

"What...what is this?"

"Since you need to relax, I thought it'd be nice to have someone come in to do your nails and maybe a facial if you're up for it. Then you can come back to bed and we can watch movies and eat popcorn and your favorite snacks."

"Oh, Christian...you are so sweet." She pulls him in for a hug and squeezes him tight. "I'm glad it's your baby I'm going to be having."

"You should know by now that I'm the best."

She sighs. "Don't ruin it with that mouth."

He turns her around and folds down the duvet so she can get in bed. "We'll eat first and then I'll call the nail tech to do your nails. Until then, you're to remain in this bed. Do you understand?"

Anastasia giggles. "Like you're going to let me out of it regardless."

"That's true, but this will be easier if I don't have to tie you to it. I own enough ties to do it."

Her eyes widen. "I'm good. I'll stay in bed."

Chuckling, Christian bends down and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Good choice, love. Now, here's the remote to the television. I'm going to go check on lunch. I'll bring you lunch in bed."

XxXxXx

Anastasia wakes up early on the Saturday after the embryo transfers. It's officially been eight days since they've left the doctors. As she stretches, she smiles. She wants to take a pregnancy test now, but she promised Christian that she wouldn't do it without him. Not bothering to change, she throws on a hoodie over her oversized t-shirt and slides into some flip flops before grabbing her handbag and heading down to the valet. Her bladder feels like it's going to burst, but she knows that she should keep her morning urine for the pregnancy test.

After what seems like an eternity, Joshua pulls up her GMC and she hops in. "Thank you, Joshua!"

She speeds off toward Escala, which is only a few minutes away. Pulling up to the garage, she hurries to input the four digit code and dances in her seat as she waits for the garage door to open.

"Don't pee. Don't pee. Don't pee." She chants as she pulls into the closest parking spot to the elevator and runs to the elevator.

The ride to his penthouse takes far too long. She swears that she's going to piss in her pants, but luckily, the elevator door opens and she hurries through the foyer, fiddling with her keys until she finds the one that unlocks the foyer door.

Once she's in, she relocks it and half-expects to see Taylor or Gail while she makes her way through, but the apartment is quiet. Everyone is still sleeping peacefully.

 _Tough._

Christian will just have to get up. She can't hold it anymore.

She jumps on his bed, making him startle and yell out in surprise.

"WAKY WAKY!" She yells, giggling.

"Jesus Christ, Anastasia! What the fuck?!"

"It's been eight days and my bladder is about to explode! Wake up and come to the bathroom!" She hops off the bed and hurries into the bathroom. She begins to pull open all of his drawers, trying to find the pregnancy tests. Finally, in the last drawer, she finds them.

"Of fucking course." She murmurs under her breath and hurries to the toilet, shutting the privacy door behind her. She pulls her bottoms down, dancing as she tries to hold it and has a seat to yank open two of the tests.

"Ahhh..." She sighs as she finally relieves her bladder, holding both tests under her stream. She made it. Her bladder didn't burst like she thought it might.

When she's finished, she brings the tests with her and places them on the counter while she washes her hands. Christian stands there, staring down at the two tests.

"How long do these usually take?"

"Three minutes, I think?"

He sighs. "I'm going to piss while we wait."

Anastasia hops up on the counter and swings her legs, trying not to pay any attention to the white sticks laying beside her. The time will just go slower if she stares. _Please, oh please, oh please, oh please_ she begs in her head. She doesn't think she's ever wanted anything so badly in her life.

After Christian flushes and washes his hands, he takes her hand in his. "Should we look?"

She nods.

"Together?"

"Together."

They both take a test.

"1...2...3!" Christian counts and they both look down at their stick.

Anastasia's heart drops into her stomach.

 _Negative._

Her chin trembles. _She's not pregnant._ Her body has failed her. _She's too fucked up._

"Oh, Ana… I'm so sorry." Christian wraps her in a hug.

"No, I'm sorry, Christian. This is all my fault." She lets out a small sob and her tears start rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't you dare say that, Anastasia. Don't you blame yourself. We'll just have to try again. You've got more eggs. We'll try again next month."

She lets out another sob. "I wanted this so badly."

"I know, baby. I know." He rocks her from side to side. _He did, too…_ He refuses to give up. It might take them another try or even two or three...but he won't give up. Anastasia deserves this. _They_ deserve this.

Christian picks her up and carries her to his bed, where he curls up with her. It's still really early in the morning and he's hoping that she'll fall back to sleep. If she does, at least her pain will stop for awhile.

"Oh, Christian...I'm so sorry." She's just beside herself. She was so sure that this was going to work. She had really thought she was pregnant. _Just wishful thinking._ She has cried so much over the past six weeks and it seems like she's not going to be stopping any time soon. She doesn't understand why this is happening to her. What has she done so horrible that she doesn't deserve this? _This isn't fair._

"Sh...sh..sh." He hushes her and holds her to him, pressing his face to her hair. He wants to cry, but he won't allow himself to. She already feels bad enough as it is. She doesn't need to see him so upset on top of it. He rubs her back up and down as she cries into his neck. Eventually, she falls asleep and he allows himself to doze off, too.

 **If you'd like a teaser for Chapter 12, let me know.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Ana...please. Just take the test." It has been eleven days since they went back to have two more embryos placed in her uterus, and so far Anastasia has been dragging her feet about taking the pregnancy test.

"Can't we just wait a few more days?" Anastasia just wants to continue to think that she _might_ be pregnant. She doesn't want it to come up negative and _know_ that she isn't. The last month has been so hard on her. When she received her period after the last negative pregnancy test, she cried for two days.

"I need to know, Ana. I want to take the proper precautions if it's positive, love. Please. Please take it. I've been worried sick." Christian doesn't want to wonder anymore. He needs to know either way. His heart can't take this 'what if' shit anymore. If it's negative, they can get through it and move on, trying again next month. If it's positive, they can move on to bigger and greater things, including getting her the proper security, telling their families, and buying baby gear. He needs a concrete answer.

Chewing her lip, she stares at him. "Okay. I'll take it." She's suddenly nauseated and she knows it isn't the pregnancy hormones making her that way.

He gives her a relieved smile. "Thank you, Ana." He stands off his couch and takes her hands, pulling her up so she can follow him to his bathroom. He goes straight for the cabinet containing their pregnancy tests and hands her two of them.

Anastasia takes them and Christian notices her hand shaking as she reaches for the items. "Ana...no matter the outcome, we'll get through this."

Swallowing hard, she nods. "Yea." Still, she's unsure. She slowly makes her way to the toilet and shuts the door behind her. "You can do this, Ana." She whispers to herself.

After she urinates on both of the tests, she places them on the counter and washes her hands slowly, trying to calm her thudding heart. It feels like it's about to beat out of her chest.

"Do you want to look?" Christian asks.

Anastasia frowns. "Do I have to?" She slides down the wall beside the sink and has a seat on the floor. "I'm scared, Christian. I just have this feeling…"

"Stop. Don't think that way. You have to think positive."

"No, you stop! Thinking positive isn't going to change the results of those tests. You read them yourself. I already know the outcome."

He sighs and tugs at his hair, frustrated. He hates that he can't make this better for her. The only thing that can make her feel better is a positive pregnancy test. He chews his lip for a moment and swallows hard, trying to push back the lump in his throat. He closes his eyes, silently begs for it to be positive and then slowly opens them, looking at the tests.

 _Negative._

 _Fuck._

He exhales deeply and kneels in front of her pulling her to him. This time, he can't keep his tears from flowing. He's completely heart broken. He doesn't understand why this has to be so painful for them. Anastasia deserves a child. _Maybe it is his fault._ Maybe he isn't meant to be a father and God is preventing Anastasia from having a child because of him.

"Oh, Christian…" Anastasia slides her fingers through the back of his hair as he cries into her neck. "I'm so sorry, beau." She feels numb. She knew this wouldn't end well. Her intuition told her that she wasn't pregnant. She feels more prepared this time than she did the first time, although it's still devastating. She knows that this was her last chance. She's cleared out her savings account for these two rounds and she can't afford another one. She won't become a mother. Christian will move on and have a child with another woman and she'll be alone. Her dream of having her own child will never come true and her best friend will eventually find a wife and leave her life for good. There won't be a child keeping him around. Nothing will keep him here. The pain becomes too much for Anastasia to bear and she begins to sob along with Christian. Her life is crashing down around her and there is nothing she can do to stop it.

They both cry and cry until their throats are raw, their eyes are red and swollen and their bottoms are numb from the hard floor. Slowly, they begin to calm, and they're both emotional exhausted from the harsh news.

Christian lays with his head in Anastasia's lap while she runs her fingers through his hair. She doesn't think she's ever seen him look so devastated before. It's really hitting him hard and it's all her fault. His face is swollen from crying, his nose and cheeks are blotchy, and his eyes are so red and swollen from crying he can barely hold his eyes open without the light from the ceiling making them burn. They're too sensitive. Instead, he turns and hides his face in her abdomen, nuzzling into it.

Anastasia smells of her apple body wash and her vanilla body spray. It's a mixture he's come to love so much. _It's purely his Ana_. It helps calm him quickly. He takes a deep breath in through his nose and breathes out through his mouth. It cleanses the pain in his chest and he feels like he can finally keep it together enough to sit up.

"How are you feeling?" She asks as he sits up next to her. She wipes his wet cheeks with her the pads of her fingers.

He sniffles. "Better."

She gives him a sad smile. She doesn't even know what to say. If she tries to apologize once more, she knows that she'll burst into tears all over again. The air is heavy and quiet for a couple of minutes.

"Would you mind if I took a shower, Christian?" Anastasia just wants to wash the day off of her body. Maybe the hot water will help wash her pain away.

"Of course not. I'll grab you one of my t-shirts and a pair of my boxer briefs. You're staying here tonight." It's only 7:00 pm, but he feels like he could fall asleep right now.

She opens her mouth to dispute, but he puts his hand over her mouth. "It's not that I don't think you can deal with this yourself, it's that I don't know how well I'll do by myself. I need you close, Ana."

 _He needs her support tonight._ There is no way she will be going anywhere, then. She wants to be his soft place to land, just as he is hers. "I'll stay."

Christian gives her a relieved smile. "Great. I'll grab you a change of clothes."

XxXxXx

Anastasia turns the water to hot and steps out of her clothes while it warms up. Testing the water, she feels that it burns a little, but she doesn't care. She climbs in and winces as the hot water pelts against her skin, turning it a deep pink. As she shuts the glass shower door, the shower begins to steam and she takes a deep, cleansing breath, stopping in the middle when the smell of Christian's body wash hits her nose. It makes her stomach flip and her center clench suddenly.

She takes another deep breath in through her nose and sighs. It smells of bergamot and amberwood...a deep, masculine smell that pierces her to the core. She would never admit it outloud, but the smell of a freshly showered Christian has always made her center liquify. There is something about the mixture of his pheromones and bodywash… she has always wanted to taste him in that sweet spot below his ear just to see if he tastes as good as he smells. How would his stubble feel against her tongue? Against her skin? Maybe even against her... _Stop it, Steele! What the fuck are you thinking?_

Since finding out about her condition, her feelings for Christian have grown...and unfortunately for her, they've grown beyond friendship. The night she found him on top of that woman was the night that her feelings came to light. He's being so lovely about this child situation and she tells herself that it's just a crush, that once she gets pregnant and they move forward the crush she has will fizzle out and she'll have her best friend back.

She knows she can't risk their solid relationship over some overactive hormones and a few butterflies in her stomach. She's been on a lot of medication and has put her body through a lot so, her hormone levels are still not back to normal. Christian is a very beautiful man. Of course she'd be attractive to his form. Any straight, undersexed female would. _Maybe she needs to order a new toy for her bedroom._

There's a part of her that knows that she could be risking their solid relationship anyway. He's been putting so much effort into her and this IVF process that it might make him hate her to find out she can't do it anymore. All he wants is a child and her body is so fucked up that it won't allow the embryos to attach to her uterine wall. Something that all women should be able to do...and she can't even manage to do something so simple. He's going to be devastated when she tells him. _This could ruin them forever._ She's known this situation was a bad idea from the start. She should have said no from the beginning. At least that way, he'd be disappointed and upset with her for only a small time. Now...he'll hate her forever. She's led him on to believe that they could have a baby and got his hopes up and now she has to pull the rug out from under him. _She's ruined everything._

She's lost everything and she'll never become a mother. She won't have Christian, won't have a family...all she'll have is her career. She'll just have to dive deep into her career and make it her life. Maybe, someday, she can open her own publishing house somewhere away from Seattle.

XxXxXx

Christian slips into pajama pants for the night and heads into the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and some stemless wine glasses for them. Since she isn't pregnant or on hormone therapy at the moment, she deserves to drown her sorrows in some good wine. He'd really like some bourbon for himself, but he tries not to drink the heavy stuff during hard times. This is how people become alcoholics. He doesn't want to _need_ it when life gets hard.

He carries the items back into the bedroom and places them on the nightstand, popping open the wine and pouring it into their glasses. He downs his first glass and refills it.

"Like this is any better, Grey." He shakes his head at himself. He might as well have grabbed a glass of bourbon. He steps away from the wine glasses and knocks on the bathroom door.

"Ana? I've got some wine out here for you." She's been in the bathroom for quite some time now. "Ana?"

When she doesn't answer, he listens hard and can hear her sobbing. His heart breaks for her. He grips the handle of the bathroom and turns it. _It's unlocked._ He freezes, wondering if he's overstepping a boundary, but when he hears another sob come from her, he decides he doesn't give a fuck.

Opening the door, he sees her form through the steamed glass sitting in the shower floor, sobbing into her knees. Her arms are wrapped around her legs and she's wrapped into a right ball under the running water. _Oh, Ana…_

He strides over quickly and pulls the shower door open, the steam escaping quickly. He kneels in front of her, pulling her to him so that he can console her. She startles and pushes him away while trying to keep herself covered.

"Christian! I'm-I'm na-na-naked!" She exclaims, trying to talk through her sobs.

He ignores her and pulls her body against hers, shielding her front with his own. Her naked body is pressed against his naked chest and he can feel her breasts against him, but it doesn't bother him. His dick doesn't even bother to stir. He's too worried about her.

"Christian…" She gives one last ditch effort to get him to leave, but her body betrays her and she slumps against him, letting him rock her back and forth.

"It's okay, Ana. It's okay. We'll just have to try again. I'm not going to give up so easily."

"I can't." She sobs into his neck.

"Why not? You can't give up, yet, Ana. It's only been a couple months."

Anastasia shakes her head. "I can't afford to do it anymore. My savings is empty. It's over, Christian. I'm so sorry. Please, don't hate me."

Christian begins to laugh at the ridiculousness of her statement and it's cathartic to laugh through the hurt.

She picks her head up to give him a scowl.

He knows he has to explain himself. "Ana… love, I'm a billionaire. Do you really think money is going to get in our way?" He wants to kick himself for not thinking about the money aspect of it, before. He'll have Andrea transfer money into Anastasia's savings account later.

"But...but, Christian...this is my problem… you shouldn't have to fund this."

He shakes his head and pushes her wet hair out of her face. "Ana...this is going to be our baby. We're in this together. Money will never be an issue with us, alright? I'll pay whatever I have to for us to have a child. I want this baby. I want it with you."

She sniffles and rests her head against his shoulder, feeling so much better. She was so buried in her sorrow, she didn't think that there could be a light at the end. _Christian always makes everything better._

"So, are you up for trying again?" Christian asks, hopeful.

She smiles against his neck and nods. "Yea."

He presses a kiss to the top of her head. "That's my girl."

"Christian...you're all wet."

He looks down at his soaked pajama pants. "Eh, they'll dry." He reaches behind him and turns the shower stream off. "Stay here. I'll get you a towel."

She leans back, covering her breasts with her arm, and pulls her legs up and together to hide everything else while he grabs her a towel. He grabs two and wraps her in one, helping her stand and then wraps the other around his waist before slipping his pajama pants down, leaving them in a heap on the shower floor for Gail to deal with later.

XxXxXx

Anastasia gets a text message while at work the next day from her bank.

 _*A deposit of $50,000 has been made to account 1254786-00. To stop receiving text updates, text STOP to 232323*_

She stares down at her phone wide-mouthed and confused. "What the fu- CHRISTIAN!"

Hopping out of her chair, she grabs her phone and handbag and storms out of her office.

"Hannah, I have to run down to Grey House. I'll be back soon. Call me if anything happens." Without waiting for a reply, she stomps down the hallway, out the front door, and down the street to Grey House. It's cloudy out, but luckily it isn't raining, because she was too angry at Christian to remember her jacket.

A man holds the door open to Grey House for her and she manages a quick thank you before storming to Christian's elevator and swiping her badge for it to open. The elevator ride is quick since she doesn't have to wait for anyone else to get on and by the time she gets up to his floor, she feels murderous.

"Hello, Ms. Steele." Andrea is as polite as ever, but Anastasia can't help, but give her a small scowl. Her strides stop and she makes a ninety-degree turn for Andrea.

"Andrea...did you deposit money into my account this morning?" Her tone is accusatory. She already knows the answer to this.

Andrea gives her a small smile. "Yes, Ms. Steele. I did."

 _The girl is actually finding this amusing!_

"Andrea...do you remember what happened last time Christian tried to put money in my account?"

Andrea bites the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. "How could I forget, Ms. Steele? It took Mr. Grey a month to grow his hair back."

Anastasia can't help, but crack a grin at her comment. "So, you don't think Christian will fall for the haircut trick again, do you?"

Andrea giggles. "No, Ms. Steele. I'd bet your fifty-thousand dollars that he won't."

"Damn." She might have to get creative.

"Mr. Grey is in his office." Andrea gives her a polite smile, but Anastasia knows that she finds their bickering entertaining. Very few people have the balls to stand up to Christian and Anastasia's sure that Andrea finds it refreshing.

Anastasia makes her way through his door and slams it behind her.

Christian looks up, unaffected by the loud noise. He knew she'd be coming.

"Christian Trevelyan Grey. What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

He places his pen down and folds his hands together on the desk calmly. "I'm not sure what you mean, Ana?"

Her eyes narrow at him. "You know _exactly_ what I mean! Why the hell do you feel like it's your place to put money in my account? I can take care of myself, Christian! I'm a big girl."

Sighing, he pushes his chair away from his desk and stands. "If we're going to fight, let's at least get comfortable on the couch."

"I don't want to get comfortable on the couch! I want you to tell Andrea to undo it!"

"What is the big deal, Anastasia?"

"I don't want your money, Christian! You've already got me an unbelievably low rate on my apartment, bought me a car, and try to sneak gifts in every chance you get. I don't get why you feel the need to do this. I don't want your money." When is he going to get it through his thick skull that she doesn't give a flying fuck how much money he has?

"I know you don't...and I love that you don't want it. But, I like to spoil you, Ana."

She rolls her eyes. "I don't need to be spoiled, Christian."

"No one _needs_ to be spoiled, love. I enjoy doing it."

"Christian...I don't want it. Please take it back."

"No, Ana. There's a reason why I put it in there."

She crosses her arms and taps her foot. "Go on, then."

He places his hands on her upper arms. "When we have our child, I don't want to have to worry if you've got enough in your account to buy the essentials for the two of you."

"But, Christian-"

"Please, Ana. Just leave it in your savings. If you don't use it, then fine, but please keep it there for emergencies at least. That's all I'm asking."

Her shoulders relax and her arms fall down to her sides. "You know you can't use the baby as an excuse to get your way all the time."

Christian gives Anastasia a cheeky grin. "We'll see."

She rolls her eyes and begins to turn away from him to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to work, Christian. Some of us need to earn a living."

 _Infuriating woman._ "Let's have lunch first. Then, I'll walk you back. I need some fresh air."

"No. I'm still mad at you."

"I don't give a fuck how mad you are at me. You need to eat. I'm taking you to lunch. It's your turn to pay." He hooks an arm around her neck and pulls her out of his office, shutting the door behind him.

XxXxXx

"Anastasia, I want to use the three remaining eggs we have for you."

Anastasia frowns. "So this is it?"

"Well, if none implant this round, we could always extract more eggs and continue this process. It's really your decision how you want to proceed from here."

Licking her lips, she sighs. "Let's just take this step by step. We'll decide what to do once I take a pregnancy test."

Dr. Evans gives her a sympathetic smile. "I understand, Anastasia. This is a long journey for some...and for a few, it seems to be never-ending. I want you to keep an open mind, though, okay? There is always the option of a surrogate."

"I know there is, but we won't be going that route. I think I'd rather adopt than pay a surrogate. I just really want to experience pregnancy first hand. I want to carry my own baby and bond with him or her while they're still in the womb. If I can't, then I don't think I could bear watching someone else do it for me." Anastasia's chin trembles at the thought of someone carrying her child. _No._ She couldn't.

"And that's okay, too, Anastasia. Every woman is different. You've got to do what's best for you. Let's just get these eggs placed today and we'll go from here, okay?"

XxXxXx

Christian's alarm clock goes off at 4:30 am and he stretches with a grin. Today is pregnancy test day again. This time, he's going to surprise Anastasia like she did to him the first round. Turning the alarm off, he jumps in the shower to clean himself and then throws on some sweats. He has enough time to go running before heading to Anastasia's on foot.

At fifteen minutes til six he finishes his run in the front of her apartment building. His run has been cathartic and he feels refreshed and optimistic. He feels so good, in fact, that he decides to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. By the time he gets to the eleventh floor, he's sucking in breath after breath, his lungs burning from all the stairs.

"Man, I really need to do more stepping." He realizes that his kickboxing and running hasn't prepared him for the flights of stairs. He thought he was in better shape than this.

Once he's breathing relatively normal, he lets himself in and chugs a bottle of water before heading in to wake his best friend. When he opens her bedroom door, he peeks in and sees that she's still sleeping peacefully.

He grins.

 _Not for long._

Slipping his shoes off, he makes a running leap and lands in the middle of the bed, making Anastasia bounce.

"WAKE UP!"

Anastasia screams.

"What-what the hell? What are you doing?" She rubs the sleep out of her eyes and relaxes against her pillows.

"It's pregnancy test day!"

She groans and rolls away from him, hiding in her pillow. "It's sleep time. Later, Grey."

"No. Now."

"Go away. Shoo." She waves him off with hand. "Come back later."

"Don't you have to piss? Your bladder is full. You've held it all night…" Christian grins.

Anastasia lays there, trying to ignore him, but his words make her realize she has to go. Sitting up, she scowls at him. "I hate you."

He feels victorious. "I'll get the stick."

"No, you don't." She gets up and pushes him out of the bathroom. "I'll do it. You wait here." She doesn't have a privacy door on her toilet like he does and she isn't about to let him watch her pee.

She finds the tests in her bathroom cabinet and grabs two before heading to the toilet. This has become her least favorite part of this whole situation. It is such a disappointment.

XxXxXx

When Christian hears the toilet flush and the bathroom sink kick on, he lets himself into the bathroom.

"Christian!" Anastasia admonishes him.

"I heard the sink!"

She rolls her eyes in true Ana-fashion and dries her hands.

"You wanted the tests so bad, you look at them. I don't want to know." She steps out of the bathroom and shuts the door behind her. She can't bear to look at it. She stands with her back to the door, wringing her hands, wanting this part to be over. She just knows it's going to be bad news...just like the last two months.

She hears the door to the bathroom creak open and she squeezes her eyes shut, her heart pounding hard enough in her chest for her to be able to hear it in her ears. She feels Christian's arms wrap around her and her chin trembles. _It's negative._ He's come to console her.

Christian's nose nuzzles the shell of her ear. "Congratulations, Mommy."

Anastasia's breath gets caught in her throat, her whole body going rigid. "Wha-what?" Surely, she heard him wrong. She turns in his arms and looks up at him, wide-eyed.

He beams down at her. "You heard me. You've officially joined the league of motherhood."

She screams and jumps up and down, squeezing him around his neck. "We're going to be parents? Are you sure!?"

Chuckling, he pulls her into the bathroom. "Come look."

Making her way to the counter, she looks down at the tests and sees that each of them show two lines. Two beautiful dark pink lines. _She really is pregnant._

"Oh, God...oh, my goodness. It worked! It really worked! I'm going to be a mom...and you're-you're going to be a dad!"

Christian gives her a boyish grin. "Yea." He's so relieved and so ecstatic that it's finally happened. He pulls her back in his arms and kisses her forehead. "Thank you, Ana."

She looks up at him, teary-eyed. "Thank you, Christian."

"You're carrying my baby." _He never wants to let her go._ She's safe in his arms. He needs to keep her safe. _He needs to contact Taylor._

Anastasia giggles. "I am."

Leaning down, he picks her up and carries her to her bedroom, depositing her back in bed. "You need to rest, love."

She sighs. "Christian, I've rested enough. It seems like we've spent the last three months moping around in bed. I'm pregnant now. Everything is fine."

"But you're newly pregnant. Anything can still happen. Just rest. Just for awhile. I'll rub your feet."

Her ears perk up. "You will?"

He chuckles and has a seat at the end of the bed. "Absolutely. You're carrying my child, Ana. I'm going to treat you like a queen."

She places her feet on his thighs and wiggles her toes. "Get to rubbing, then."

He rubs her feet and then her calves and when he's finished he crawls up the bed and lifts her shirt a little.

"Our child is in there."

Anastasia giggles. "Yep."

Christian presses a kiss to her stomach, right below her navel. His stubble is scratchy against her sensitive skin and his soft lips pressed so close to her center makes it liquify. He nuzzles into her stomach, then presses another kiss against it, and she does the best she can to keep her breathing even and unlabored.

She slips her fingers through his hair when he lays his cheek on her stomach. "I guess I should call Dr. Greene today to make an ultrasound appointment."

He grins against her stomach. "A-S-A-P." He needs the doctor to verify that Anastasia is truly pregnant. He wants to see the baby for himself.

She nods, agreeing. "Yes, asap."

 **I will get my Pinterest for this story updated later tonight.**

 **Let me know if you'd like a teaser for Chapter 13.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Before starting, I want to give a shout-out to Melissa Spence, who took the time out to iron out a lot of the details in this chapter with me. It really helped me get over the hurdle I was stuck on and get me moving.**

It has only been three days since Anastasia has taken the pregnancy test and already, Christian is driving her crazy. An hour after she took it, he tried to keep her from going to work, saying that she should wait until she had her first ultrasound. If Anastasia would have been able to have the ultrasound that day, it wouldn't have been that big of deal, but since Dr. Greene doesn't want her to have one until she's six weeks along, it caused them to fight. According to her IVF calculator, she's just now four weeks pregnant, which means she won't have her first ultrasound for two weeks. There is absolutely no way she was going to agree to stay home for an additional two weeks. Eventually, they talked it through and they both ended up making it to work on Friday...although they were two hours late.

Christian then popped up twice at work on Friday, making sure she was snacking and eating properly, worried that she might starve the baby. Anastasia couldn't help, but take a little offense to Christian's accusations. He spent all of Saturday coddling her and trying to keep her in bed while trying to get her to eat more than she's used to, then refused to leave that night and stayed over.

By Sunday, Anastasia is thankful that Christian has his family dinner so she can breathe a little. Unfortunately, it's short lived because he announces that he called his mother and told her that he isn't feeling well and won't be able to make it.

As Anastasia sits in bed, trying to dig deep to find more patience, Christian brings her another bottle of water.

She takes it from him and sighs. "Christian, why don't you go to your family dinner tonight? I'm sure they miss you." _She hasn't gotten one second to herself._ She really needs some time alone.

Christian shakes his head and has a seat next to her on the bed that he's keeping her prisoner in. "It'd be too hard not to tell them." Both of them agreed to wait until she went to the doctor tomorrow morning to get her labwork done to verify her pregnancy. They don't want to get anyone's hopes up just to have to tell them it was a false positive. "Plus, I don't want to leave you alone in this condition."

Anastasia clenches her jaw. Her heart rate begins to rise and she can feel her frustration rising with it. "Christian, it is not a _condition_ , I'm pregnant. Women get pregnant all the time and lead relatively normal lives while carrying the baby. I can do almost anything that I would have done before." Sure, she isn't going to be moving one-hundred pound filing cabinets to rearrange her office or lift boxes full of manuals, but there are other people at work that are more than capable of helping her. "All I'm going to be doing is relaxing tonight. Take a long, hot shower, make some hot chocolate, read...maybe watch a movie. Go see your family. _Please._ "

His eyebrow raises. "You know, if I didn't know any better, it sounds as if you're trying to get rid of me, Ms. Steele."

She chews her lip and shrugs. "Well…"

"What the fuck, Ana?" Christian jumps out of bed, angry.

"Christian, please don't take offense to it. I just want some time alone. I haven't had a second alone since we found out. I just want to breathe and enjoy some time alone in my apartment before I go back to work for the week."

"I can't believe this." He pulls at his hair, frustrated. "I've spent every waking moment tending to your every need, Anastasia! You've been treated like a fucking queen for three damn days!"

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, Christian. I know you've put so much effort into me, but I'm feeling smothered. I just want some time to breathe. I'm a very independent person. I like my time alone, you know that. I just want a few hours to myself. It isn't your fault, beau. It's just my personality." She hates that he's so upset over this. "Christian, please...please don't be upset. Just have a seat next to me and we'll talk-"

"No."

Her eyebrows knit together. "No?"

"You heard me. No. There isn't anything else left to talk about. You're sick of me. You need some time alone. I'm _smothering_ you." He grabs his shoes from the floor and his keys off the nightstand before making his way out of the room.

"Christian, please don't leave like this." Anastasia climbs out of bed to try to speak to him.

"You wanted me to leave, so I'm leaving, Ana."

"Please, don't leave, yet." She does her best not to cry in front of him. She doesn't want to act the victim when she caused this. She's offended him when all he's done is try to take care of her. "There's no need to overreact. We can talk this over."

"Overreact?" He snorts. "Do you know how many women would kill to have a man treat them the way I treat you? Fuck, Ana. We aren't even together! All I've done is make sure that you're comfortable and cared for, but you're still trying to push me away. I might be overreacting, but maybe it's because you refuse to commit to anyone or anything in your life besides your books."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

He licks his lips. "Maybe you can figure it out during all the time you're going to be spending by yourself." He opens the front door and slams it behind him, not even bothering to look back.

Anastasia stands there motionless, staring at the back of the door. She doesn't understand how this escalated so quickly. She knew that deep down, Christian was a sensitive soul, but she didn't expect him to react so harshly.

She turns and looks over her apartment.

"Well...you got what you wanted, Steele. Now what?" She lets out a frustrated growl and rubs her face. She feels terribly guilty over what happened. She should have just let him stay. She should have found some more patience and compassion for his situation.

She sighs.

She knows that he would never let up if she hadn't said anything, though. There's no way she could stand nine months of him hovering over her constantly. As much as she loves and adores her best friend, she can't take that much of anyone. She needs her time alone, away from everyone. It's her way to decompress and clear her mind. _She'd go positively mental if she didn't have time to herself._

Deciding that she'll give him some time to cool off tonight, she heads for the shower to clean off the days events and try not to think about what just happened. She knows it isn't good for her to get so worked up so early in her pregnancy and she needs to do her best to keep herself calm.

During the evening, she manages to do everything she had planned, but can't help sneaking glances at her phone every once in awhile to see if Christian has sent her anything. She does her best not to play over what happened, but ends up crying herself to sleep anyway.

XxXxXx

Christian sits in his office first thing Monday morning, going over the days events with Andrea. His phone pings and when he looks at it, he sees that it's from Anastasia.

 _*Good morning, Christian. Lunch at 12:30? Hoping we can talk?*_

He deletes the message and places his phone back on his desk.

"Andrea, if Ms. Steele comes to Grey House, I want you to tell her that I'm busy. No matter the time of day. Do you understand?"

Andrea looks a little taken aback by this statement. "Um, yes, sir. I can do that."

Christian is relieved that Andrea doesn't ask questions. _She's the best PA he's ever had._ He hopes that she stays for quite some time.

His morning is filled with meetings and phone calls from Anastasia-four to be exact-but he ignores each one of them. _For a woman who wanted to be alone, she sure is blowing up his phone a lot._

At 11:30 am, his intercom buzzes.

"Yes, Andrea?"

"Ms. Steele came looking for you. I told her you were in a meeting with Ros."

His chest gives a small pang of hurt knowing that she was here and he missed her, but he's too hurt by her words to do anything, yet. _He needs more time._

"Thank you, Andrea. I'm sorry you had to lie." _He hates liars._

"It's alright, Mr. Grey. I'm going on lunch now. Would you like me to pick you up something from the deli across the street?"

 _Oh, yes._ He's starving. "That'd be wonderful, Andrea."

As he sits there, he begins to wonder if she dropped by because of something that happened at her doctor's appointment. It was scheduled for 11:00 am, so it didn't last long. Surely, her presence had nothing to do with her appointment if she was in and out so quickly.

Still, he looks at his phone, hoping that she'll try to call or send him a text if it was something important.

Anastasia doesn't call...at least until that evening. He ignores her call. She doesn't leave a voicemail.

XxXxXx

On Tuesday, Anastasia tries Grey House again. _How long can Christian hold this against her?_ They need to talk this out. This _cannot_ be what breaks them.

Instead of stopping at Andrea first, she strides straight past her and heads towards Christian's office.

"Ms. Steele...Ms. Steele!" Andrea hops out of her chair to hurry after her. "Mr. Grey isn't available at the moment!"

Anastasia ignores her and tries his office door. _Locked._ "Damn it."

Andrea breathes a sigh of relief. "I told you he wasn't available."

"How am I supposed to apologize if he won't talk to me?!" Anastasia lets out a frustrated growl. Seeing Andrea's face, she immediately apologizes to her. "Oh, I'm sorry, Andrea. I don't mean to put you in the middle of all this. I promise I won't bother you again." Christian is a very private person and she knows that he wouldn't tell Andrea about their situation or why they're fighting.

Andrea stays in place while Anastasia makes her way back to the elevator. When the elevator closes, Christian's door opens.

"She gone?" Christian sticks his head out.

Andrea tries to keep herself from smiling. _These two are ridiculous._ "Yes, sir."

Looking her over, he sees her amused expression. "Something funny, Andrea?"

She licks her lips and giggles. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Grey, but I've never seen you hide from anyone before."

He sighs. "Yea...well, I'm not in the mood to deal with her bullshit right now. Get me lunch, please."

Before Andrea can respond, he shuts the door. Andrea lets out a frustrated sigh of her own. _Children._

XxXxXx

As soon as Anastasia has a seat back at her desk at SIP, her phone begins to ring. She launches herself at her handbag, hoping it's Christian. _Maybe Andrea told him she stopped by._

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't hang up!" She yells at her phone, digging through her handbag. "Just one second!"

Finally, she finds it and answers it without even looking at the caller, worried she'll miss the call.

"Hello?" She's breathless.

"Hello, Ana? It's Dr. Greene."

"Oh! Dr. Greene, hi! Do you have my labwork back, yet?" She leans back in her computer chair.

"Yes, Ana, and I think it would be best if you came back in today."

Anastasia's heart drops. "What? Wh-why?" Her chin trembles.

"Your HCG levels just aren't as high as I would expect them to be at this stage. I want to rerun your labwork and do an ultrasound...just to make sure everything is alright. I know it's early, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Oh. Okay...when?"

"Can you come now?"

Anastasia chews her lip. "Yea, sure. I'll be there."

As she disconnects, she lets out a sob, but covers her mouth, stifling the sound. Swallowing hard, she shakes her head and clears her throat. _Be strong, Steele._

Taking a deep, cleansing breath she calls Christian. He doesn't answer. _Surprise, surprise._

XxXxXx

Christian sits in a meeting with his IT department, talking over the new security features for Grey House. His phone vibrates on the table and looking at it, he sees it's Anastasia. He hits the ignore button and urges his head of IT to continue.

A couple minutes later, it buzzes again. This time, he places it on his thigh, so that it doesn't continue to interrupt them. It stops, but buzzes once about a minute later.

 _A voicemail._

Anastasia hasn't left a voicemail, yet.

"Let's take a short break. I have some business I need to attend to."

The men stand to leave, but Christian stays put, wanting to listen to her voicemail before he heads back to his office.

" _Christian, It's Ana...well, I guess you already know that. Listen...I got a call from Dr. Greene. She, um, she thinks it'd be best if I came back in to get my labs redone and do an ultrasound. I...I know you're upset with me...but, I was hoping that maybe you'd come? I know you didn't want to miss any of the ultrasound appointments and….I'm scared. Please, come. Hell, I know there's a chance you might not even listen to this. I fucked up. I know it. Just give me a chance to grovel. If...if you don't come, I guess I... I'll leave you a text after I see her. Bye."_

His heart sinks to his stomach and tears spring quickly to his eyes. She sounds so defeated in her voicemail. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

He springs out of his chair, runs at full speed to his office to grab his things, and buzzes Taylor.

"Yes, sir?"

"Taylor! We need to go! I need you to take me to Dr. Greene's office!"

"Yes, sir. Meet me downstairs."

XxXxXx

Anastasia sits in the waiting room at the OBGYN's office. Dr. Greene shares an office with two other doctors and two nurse practitioners, making the waiting room rather full. It does nothing to help Anastasia's nerves.

She wrings her hands and looks at the clock. _Five minutes._ She's only been waiting five minutes, but it feels like an eternity. _Christian isn't here, yet._

She knows she fucked up. She should have never brought up the subject in such a way. She knew that they had to talk it over at some point, but she could have been more careful with her approach. _Of course he's hurt._ He's been nothing, but incredible this whole time and she tells him that he's suffocating. She told him he could be as involved as he wanted with her pregnancy and the baby and then she does this. He must think that she used him...which she would never. She wants this baby with him...more than she'd care to admit. After going through all of this with him, she couldn't imagine carrying anyone else's. _He deserves to be a father._

He hit below the belt with his last comment, though. Why did he have to leave it like that? What did he mean by it? She could commit...to the people she really loved. She's committed so much of her time, energy, and love to Christian. He's her best friend...he's been for eleven years. _If that isn't commitment, then what is?_

She picks at her fingernails.

Sure, she's never really had a long-term relationship with any man, but she's never really found the right one. She isn't willing to waste her time on a man that she knows isn't her _more._ She's tried. And tried. And fucking tried.

 _Maybe Christian's right. Maybe she does have commitment issues._

Hell, besides Christian, she can't name one person that she considers a friend besides maybe Mia and Elliot. _She sunk all her time into Christian…_ well, Christian and her studies. Girls always hated her anyway and boys always seem to come and go...like a revolving door. There was always something wrong with them. _She's built her life around him._ Can't he see that? Can't he see how committed she really is to him?

"Where is she?!"

"Who, sir?"

Anastasia's head snaps up so quickly, that she thinks she gives herself whiplash.

"Christian?"

He spins around on his heel and hurries over to her from the receptionist's desk.

"Ana! Ana, are you okay? I've been worried sick! I've tried to call…"

"Service is terrible in here, Christian." The doctor's office is set up in a spot where it's surrounded mostly by hills and other buildings, making the reception inside almost non-existent.

He has a seat next to her and looks her over. "What's going on?"

Anastasia looks around the room, seeing everyone staring. When the other patients see her looking, most avert their gaze, many finding their lap suddenly very interesting.

She leans toward him a little to whisper and his smell hits her strong. _Shit._ He smells incredible. Her baby books weren't joking when they mentioned that her sense of smell would become more potent.

"Well?" He whispers, throwing his hands up. _He's frustrated._

She shakes her head and tries to collect her thoughts. "Dr. Greene called and said that my HCG levels weren't as high as she'd expect to see at this point, so she wanted me to come for a repeat bloodwork and an ultrasound to make sure that everything is okay."

Christian slides down in his chair, slouching. "Oh, my god."

"Christian...listen, I'm sorry-"

He shakes his head and sits up. "Not now, love. We'll talk after. Let's just concentrate on this."

"But...I...um, okay." She doesn't want to upset him further right now. If he's willing to talk after, then she's willing to wait.

Instead, they both turn their attention to the news program on the television, but it doesn't make Anastasia feel any better. A child has been abducted, a sixty-five year old woman is missing from her house on the south side of Seattle, a police officer was shot overnight over a drug bust, there was a gang-rape behind a pub down on the water… _the world they live in is so devastating._

Christian keeps his eye on Anastasia as she watches their city fall apart a little more. Seattle is actually a relatively safe city compared to others, but there are bad people no matter where a person goes.

Her hand sneaks up to rest on her stomach and he gives her a small smile and reaches over to rest his hand on hers.

"Don't worry, Ana. Our child will stay safe. We've got the means to keep them safe for a lifetime. I'll keep both of you safe." He would never let anything bad happen to them like it was done to him. It has been twenty-two years since he's been abused, but it still affects every fucking day of his life. He will _never_ let his child go through anything so traumatic.

XxXxXx

"Since you're just barely pregnant, we won't see the baby, but I'll be able to see the gestational sac and your uterine walls, which is important. I want to make sure that the embryo is implanted correctly and in the right spot."

Anastasia lays there as she explains and tries her best not to cry, but she fails. Big, warm tears start to cascade down her face and Dr. Greene squeezes her hand.

"I know it's hard, but we don't know if anything is wrong, yet. We'll have the results of your bloodwork by the time we're finished here and we'll go from here. Because of your history, this is just a precautionary measure."

She sniffles and nods. "Okay."

Christian slides his chair closer to her and holds her hand. "Everything will be fine, Ana."

She squeezes his hand and releases a deep breath as Dr. Greene eases the ultrasound wand into her vagina to take a look.

"Okay...alright, good. This all looks good." She pulls the screen closer so that she can show Anastasia and Christian. "This gray looking area all over the screen is your uterus. This tiny black spot right here is the gestational sac. That's where the baby will grow. The baby is only the size of a poppyseed right now, but he or she will grow fast. The sac is in a good place and looks nice and snug against the wall of your uterus. Everything looks perfect." Dr. Greene gives Anastasia an encouraging smile and slips the wand back out of her.

Christian lets out the breath he was holding. "Thank fuck."

His comment makes Anastasia giggle. "I second that."

Dr. Greene grins as she takes off her gloves. "I third that." Stepping over to the sink, she washes her hands. "I'm going to check on the results for your labwork. Go ahead and get dressed, Ana."

Anastasia hurries to get dressed while Christian stands in the corner, his back to her. When she's finished, she steps over to him and wraps her arms around his waist from behind, inhaling his scent.

"I'm so sorry, Christian. It was wrong of me. I never meant to hurt you. These past two days have been awful. I love how attentive and affectionate you've become since we started this journey together...not that you weren't always attentive, but even more so, now. You really have treated me like a queen and it was wrong of me for saying what I did and how I did it."

He turns in her arms and holds her tightly against him. "Oh, Ana. I'm sorry for overreacting. You were right. I was just hurt. I felt like you took what you needed from me and now that you got what you wanted, you just wanted to be left alone. It was wrong of me to feel that way. I know you better than that."

She shakes her head. "I deserved that, Christian. It was terrible how I brought up the subject of space. It's not that I don't want you around. I do. I love seeing you and I love being with you. Sometimes, I just need time to myself to decompress every once in awhile."

"Yea, I guess I was stuck to you like a leech. I just wanted to spoil you."

Anastasia smiles. "I know, beau. And you do a wonderful job. I don't want this to ruin our relationship, Christian. We've got so many things to look forward to."

Christian smiles and ducks down to kiss her. "I promise to try not to suffocate you if you promise to let me see you every work day for lunch and come to every Sunday dinner."

Anastasia giggles. "That sounds like a wonderful compromise...but, I'd like to see you more than that?"

His eyes light up. "You would?"

She rolls her eyes. "Of course, I would. What about our dinner dates and movie nights?"

He nods. "Well, let's just try to go back to normal."

"Deal."

"With Sunday dinners."

"Deal."

" _Every_ Sunday."

Anastasia giggles. "Yes, Christian. I get it."

"Good. Kiss on it."

There's a knock on the door and they pull away from each other as Dr. Greene comes through the door, carrying a manila folder.

"Well, good news, Anastasia. It looks like the first set of labwork must have been contaminated. Your HCG levels look perfect and so does everything else."

Christian lets out a sigh of relief and rubs Anastasia's back. "That's great."

"I'm sorry that I worried both of you. I just wanted to take the proper precautions in case."

Anastasia smiles. "I'd much rather be safe than sorry." In a weird way, this small scare brought Christian and her closer together and forced them to talk. Although she hopes that they don't have another scare like this again, there's a part of her that is thankful for the scare and thankful that that's all it was... _a scare_. Nothing more.

As they make their way out of the doctor's office, Anastasia slips her arm around Christian's waist. "Take me to lunch. It's your turn to pay. I want Chinese."

"So demanding." He throws his arm over her neck and pulls her against his side, pressing his lips to her hair. His stomach growls as they head toward her GMC, making Anastasia laugh.

"Maybe, but your stomach agrees with me."

"Only because you starved me. I had a nice lunch waiting for me on my desk after my meeting and I had to leave it behind to come rescue you from yourself. If I hadn't been so cool, calm, and collected-"

"Ha!"

He narrows his eyes at her as he opens the passenger's side door of her GMC for her.

"You came barging into the doctor's office and yelled at the receptionist! If you call that cool, calm, and collected, I'd hate to see what you're like in a true emergency!"

"My behavior was called for. You left me a devastatingly worrisome voicemail and I was beside myself. Considering the situation, I was positively cool. Now get your ass in the vehicle, lady."

Anastasia giggles as she climbs in, happy that they're back on track. "My rock."

"Damn right." He answers, reaching forward to buckle her in.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I know this chapter took a bit to get out, but I've been neglecting my other fic, so I had to work on that one first. This chapter is over double my normal post, so I'm hoping the extra long chapter will make up for it.**

 **Also, I'm editing this while I'm exhausted, so after I post it and go to bed, I might have to go back in and re-edit it later. If you get another email over this chapter, that is why.**

The past six weeks has been chaotic, to say the least. Anastasia has been battling morning sickness (which has ended up to be any-time-of-the-day sickness) while working full time, dealing with the women on both sides calling and texting at all hours of the day over everything baby, dealing with Christian's overprotectiveness, and trying to find time to center herself enough to keep from going out of her mind.

Christian, on the other hand, has been worrying himself silly over this pregnancy. With Anastasia being so tummy sick and his family bothering her so often, he finds himself spending all his free time making sure she's getting the proper nutrition and trying to keep the Grey women off her back. This pregnancy is going to last thirty more weeks. There is no reason why their questions, comments, and ideas about baby gear can't wait until a later date. It's obvious to him that Anastasia is overwhelmed, but she's never been one to admit it.

 _Stubborn woman._

Today is their ten week appointment and the first time they'll get to see their baby on ultrasound. It seems so surreal that this is happening, even with the time and energy they put into getting her pregnant. They realize that it might continue to feel surreal until their baby is born. This won't keep them from enjoying every second of her pregnancy, though. It's the first pregnancy for both of them...just another experience they get to share as best friends. They have so many firsts together and both of them are looking forward to experiencing more firsts together as parents.

Anastasia lays on the table in her paper gown, black slacks, and a sheet, drumming her fingers on top of her stomach while they wait for the doctor. The movement makes Christian smile, reminding him of the night they told his parents that she was pregnant. They had chosen to announce it with yet another shirt, this time Anastasia wearing it.

 _It is after dinner on Sunday night when Anastasia decides to slip off her thin sweater, revealing her navy blue t-shirt with the word 'Preggers' written in white lettering on the front. She tries to sit patiently, waiting for the others to notice, but no one pays any attention. She begins to drum her fingers against the wooden table next to her plate, impatient and annoyed. Christian had made it a strict rule that the family not ask either one of them how the IVF process was going, promising that they would be alerted if there was new information to give. His family listened and hasn't asked one question regarding it. Which, up until now they've both appreciated, but tonight, they both wished that they would._

 _When it becomes obvious that no one is going to pay attention to Anastasia's shirt unless they bring attention to it themselves, Christian reaches over and rubs her stomach affectionately. The movement does its job and everyone's eyes catch his hand before chaos erupts. Everyone is talking over everyone else, his sister is talking a mile a minute, asking question after question, not bothering to wait for an answer to any of them. His brother is making inappropriate comments and his father is congratulating them both._

 _Through the excited chaos though, Christian's eyes don't leave his mother. Grace remains quiet and composed and he can't help, but wonder what's going through her mind._

" _Mom?"_

 _She smiles across the table at him. There's a quiet calm radiating off of her and it causes him to gravitate towards her. Before he realizes, he's standing beside her and she's smiling up at him._

" _Come here, lovebug." She pushes her chair back._

 _The nickname brings tears to his eyes. He can't remember the last time his mother used his childhood nickname. She had started calling him that before he had even been adopted. When she'd come to visit him in the foster home, he would cling to her leg through the whole visit, reminding her of a little lovebug. The name means so much to him._

 _Her using it now means so much. It means that she's happy...proud even. It reminds him that he'll always be her little boy and that she'll always love him unconditionally. There's nothing that will change that._

 _Like he used to do when he was a child, he kneels in front of her and rests his arms on her thighs. "What do you think, Mom?"_

 _Grace gives him a sweet, motherly smile. "I think that this is just precious." She cups his cheek and a tear rolls down her own. "I know that you will be the most amazing father. You love so hard and so deep. This child is going to be so loved and cared for. I am so proud of you for stepping up and being a man for Ana and a father for this child. It's going to be so rewarding to watch you with your own baby."_

 _Christian's mother always knows how to hit him in his soft spot. He finds himself getting choked up over her words._

" _Mom…" He doesn't even know what to say. Instead, he reaches up and pulls her into a tight hug, breathing in her comforting scent...the scent of safety._

There's a knock on the exam room door, pulling Christian out of his memory. Dr. Greene pops in with her usual bright smile.

"Good morning, Ana...Christian." She greets both of them and has a seat on the doctors chair. "How are you feeling Ana?"

"Nauseated."

"Oh? Have you tried anything with ginger?"

"Christian has brought me ginger ale a few times, but I really don't like the taste. It makes my stomach even more queasy."

"What about ginger biscuits? I've had women swear by them. One woman said that she wouldn't even put a foot on the ground until she ate two every morning and it kept her from getting sick throughout her whole pregnancy."

Christian's ears perk up. "We'll be sure to try those."

Anastasia nods, agreeing. At this point, she'll try anything. The thing she hates the most is throwing up and she's been doing it a lot lately. She just wants to feel better.

"Did you drink your water?"

Anastasia sighs. "Yes, I'm not going to pee on the table when you push on it, am I?"

Dr. Green laughs. "That's only happened once and the women was much farther along than you are. If you get to the point where you feel like you can't hold it, just let me know. It's not worth being miserable over, Ana." After she washes her hands, she announces that she's going to do the physical exam of Anastasia's body first.

"Christian…"

He rolls his eyes. "I'm turning around." A part of him feels like it's ridiculous for him to have to hide in the corner when she's carrying his baby, but considering they didn't create the child naturally, he knows there's no way she'd ever agree to him seeing her in that position.

Dr. Greene lowers her sheet and opens Anastasia's paper gown to look her over. She starts on Anastasia's breasts, palpating around her nipple, and Anastasia hisses.

"They're sore?"

"Burn is more like it."

"That's normal." She continues to the opposite breast. "Have you noticed your areolas growing or getting darker since your pregnancy, Ana?"

"Jesus Christ." Christian hisses under his breath.

Anastasia bites her lip to keep from laughing. "Is there a problem, Mr. Grey? Need to leave the room?"

He crosses his arms and throws his weight on one hip. "Shut up."

Anastasia rolls her eyes. "To answer your question, Dr. Greene, I've noticed them becoming a little darker, but not bigger. My breasts themselves are getting larger though. I had to buy a larger bra the other day. I thought that the milk didn't come in until later?"

"Your breasts are growing because of all the extra hormones running through the system. The milk will come later and your breasts will grow even larger then."

Anastasia groans. "So you're telling me I'm going to be carrying two bowling balls in my bra by the time I give birth."

Dr. Greene laughs. "That's very possible. And you'll continue to after the birth, too."

Christian squeezes his eyes shut and does the best he can not to picture Anastasia's chest growing along with her stomach. When his dick stirs, he immediately reaches down and readjusts himself so that mini-Christian doesn't make himself known.

Dr. Greene covers Anastasia's chest up with the sheet and folds it so that she can get to her stomach.

"Go ahead and unbutton your slacks and shimmy them down a little. The baby is still sitting really low."

Anastasia does as she says and then tells Christian that it's alright to turn around now. When he turns, he's shocked at what he sees. Anastasia's slim form is sporting a little bump below her navel.

"How is that possible?" _She's only ten weeks along._ He reaches out and runs his hand over the bump, feeling the curve for himself. _It's really there._

"You're making me self-conscious, Grey." Anastasia warns, suddenly feeling fat. It's the first time she's really paid attention to herself and she can see a pooch. She knew that her bottoms were getting tighter, but she didn't think much of it… until now.

Dr. Greene laughs. "No reason to be self-conscious, Ana. It's the baby. Since you're so naturally thin, the baby is showing faster than it would with other women. You could stand to gain a few more pounds if I'm being honest."

Christian's jaw clenches at the doctor's words and Anastasia winces. Now that Christian has heard this, he'll be trying to shove even more food down her throat.

"I told you that you weren't eating enough." Christian is angry. This is something he's feared since Anastasia decided to do IVF. She promised that she'd eat enough and stay healthy and so far, she's doing a piss poor job of it.

"Can it, Christian. This isn't the place." Anastasia gives him a warning scowl.

Sensing the sudden tension in the room, Dr. Greene steps over to turn off the light. "Let's have a look at the baby, shall we?"

They both remain tight lipped, their sudden anger with each other simmering just below the surface. Causing a scene is something that neither one of them want to do, especially in front of the doctor that they'll be seeing a lot of in the coming months. Both know they need to act like adults even if they don't want to...at least for awhile.

When the baby is pulled up on the screen, all anger is temporarily forgotten. This time, it's obvious what they're looking at. The baby looks like a little jelly bean with tiny little arms and legs sprouting out of it. Even though it's obvious what they're looking at, Dr. Greene still points to the screen.

"The baby's vital organs are all developed already and even starting to function. You can't see it, but the baby is starting to grow fingernails and hair and is kicking up a storm already. Look...see? See the baby move?"

Christian lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He's staring at their child. A child that is currently moving inside of Anastasia's stomach. One that's growing so fast and will be here soon. An avalanche of emotion comes barreling down on Christian and tears spring to his eyes. He has to swallow back the ones that threaten to fall.

"Christian...do you see?" Anastasia's eyes are also filled with tears.

Christian takes her hand and brings it to his lips. "Yes, baby. I see. That's ours."

She smiles up at him and turns back to the screen. "All ours."

XxXxXx

Anastasia and Christian leave the doctor's office hand-in-hand, wearing matching smiles. They're both on cloud nine after seeing their baby for the first time.

"Ready to get some brunch?" Christian asks, hopeful.

Anastasia nods, giving him a large smile. "That sounds wonderful." Suddenly, her appetite has tripled. Seeing the baby move makes it so much more real. The baby needs nourishment to grow and thrive and Anastasia's determined to give the baby everything he or she needs.

Christian's relieved. He was worried it might cause tension between them if she said no. "Where would you like to go?"

"Denny's."

"Denny's?" He's surprised.

"Yes, I want to get the Grand Slam."

Christian opens the passenger's side door of his R8 and lets her slide in, feeling victorious. His baby is doing well, Anastasia is doing well, and her appetite is suddenly off the charts. If she's willing to eat like this all the time, they won't have a problem getting her to gain a few pounds.

XxXxXx

"Ana, I'm heading to Elena's to get my hair done. Are you coming?"

Mia and Anastasia have spent the morning getting waxed, plucked, and primped for the Coping Together event that is later in the evening. Anastasia is now hairless below the neck, her nails are done to perfection, and she has just finished a two hundred dollar one-hour massage that was worth every penny. Even though she's always felt that Elena is an odd bird (creepy really), the girls have gone to get their hair done every year at Esclava for the last decade, so it's tradition. Going to the salon the day of the gala is a social event itself. The salon is full of women getting ready for the event and it's one of Elena's busiest days of the year.

"Yes, I'm coming. I just need to pay first." The Grey's have an account at the spa and although they are constantly reminding Anastasia that she can add it to their account, she always refuses. She makes good money and there is no reason for her to take advantage of such a beautiful, giving family. It makes Christian furious, but she tells him to suck it up. If she didn't love the spa so much, she would have tried to find one not connected to the Greys, but it's such a lovely place, she'd feel like she was cheating on the spa if she tried to go somewhere new.

They climb into Mia's Caribbean Aqua colored Mini Convertible and head towards Esclava, which is about a ten minute drive from the spa.

"I think I'm going to go bold this year."

Anastasia cocks an eyebrow at her friend. "Bold?"

"How do you think I'd look as a blonde?" Mia asks, giving her a smile.

"Blonde, huh?" Anastasia laughs. That'll definitely blow her family away. "Does your family know you're doing this?"

Giggling, Mia shakes her head. "Nope."

 _Oh, Anastasia is going to enjoy this._ "I think blonde is fantastic, Mia."

"You should do something bold, too, Ana."

Anastasia snorts. "I am not going blonde."

"No, definitely not. You should chop your hair off...or maybe get extensions."

There was no way Anastasia would chop her hair off shorter than it already is, but extensions… that's an interesting concept.

"Extensions, huh?"

Mia grins like a Cheshire cat, knowing that she's pulled Anastasia in. Mia knows that Christian loves long hair and she's sure that he will go crazy over Anastasia when he sees her.

When they make it to the salon, they have a hard time finding a parking spot. Thanks to Mia's choice in car, they're lucky enough to find a small spot close to the salon that most vehicles can't squeeze into.

"Good ol' Benny. He never lets me down." Mia pats her Mini affectionately when they climb out.

"I'll never understand why you feel the need to name your cars."

"Well, you're going to name your baby, aren't you?"

"It's not the same thing, Mia."

"It absolutely is. Benny is my baby." Mia pats her car one last time before Anastasia hooks an arm into Mia's and pulls her toward the front door of Esclava.

"Say goodbye to your baby, Mia."

Mia cranes her neck to look back at her car and waves.

When they enter through the door, they're immediately greeted by Elena.

"Hello, girls. I was wondering if you'd be coming." Elena's mouth curls up into a tight lip smile. It reminds Anastasia of The Grinch.

"Sorry, Elena. The spa took a little longer than we expected." Mia leans forward to greet Elena and presses a kiss to her cheek. The girls have a standing reservation every year for 11:00 am, but it's forty-minutes past.

"Anastasia...how are you doing?" Elena's eyes flick down to her stomach and back up to meet Anastasia's gaze.

"I'm doing great, thank you, Elena. And you?"

"Wonderful, darling."

Elena sticks her cheek out for Anastasia to kiss and Anastasia makes quick work of it. She's never understood why she's always been forced to kiss the woman. Mia and the boys have grown up with Elena, but Anastasia didn't come around until she was fifteen. She isn't part of the family and the relationship between the two women has always been forced. Anastasia feels that Elena's personality is insincere and her motives for being close to the Greys, questionable. Anastasia knows that Elena dislikes her, but she isn't sure why. Maybe it is because Anastasia was an outsider that's pushed her way into their lives and sees what Elena truly is...maybe it's for some other reason that hasn't come to light, yet. Either way, the women are like sandpaper rubbing together.

"So, what are you ladies thinking for today?"

Mia smiles, excited. "I think I'm going to go blonde."

Elena lets out a surprised laugh. "Blonde, huh?"

Mia nods, grinning. "They say blondes have more fun. I want to test this hypothesis."

"Alright, then. Blonde." Elena shakes her head at the crazy college girl. "What about you, Anastasia?"

"I thinking about extensions." Anastasia pulls on a lock of hair, which sits right above her shoulder.

Elena's smile fades, but she quickly plasters another one on. "Extensions, huh? Any certain reason?"

Anastasia shrugs. "It was Mia's idea. I think it'd be fun."

Elena licks her lips. "Okay, then. Let me see who's available to get you girls done."

XxXxXx

"How has your pregnancy been going, Anastasia?" Elena has a seat on a stool next to Anastasia's chair.

Anastasia looks up from her magazine that she's reading while Jordan works on her hair. _Why is Elena bugging her?_ There are plenty of women to talk to.

"You're pregnant?" Mrs. Morgan, the wife of Carrick's business partner, sits getting her hair curled across from Anastasia. The news actually gets the attention of the few ladies surrounding her.

Mia smiles in her chair next to Anastasia. "Yes! She's carrying my niece or nephew! I'm going to be an aunt soon!"

"Thank you, Mia." Anastasia has to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "Yes, Mrs. Morgan. Christian and I are expecting a child in March."

Mrs. Morgan gives Anastasia a large smile. "Well, that's just wonderful! I'm sure that Carrick and Grace are just tickled pink over the news. Their first grandbaby."

Anastasia returns her smile. "Yes, they're pretty excited. The whole family is buzzing, really."

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been feeling pretty woozy, but Christian has been such a help when I'm feeling nauseous."

Mia giggles. "He spoils her rotten. Fusses over her every second of the day. It's adorable."

Mrs. Morgan laughs. "That's just darling. You two make a lovely couple."

"Oh, um-"

"Don't they? They're just the cutest!" Mia cuts Anastasia off before she can say anything.

Anastasia can feel her cheeks light up. She hates being the center of attention and Mia is making it worse. It's probably best that she doesn't explain the complicated situation that they're in. It won't look good on their part if she tries to explain that they aren't romantically involved, but are having a child together and are going to the gala as a couple. Anastasia has always felt a little uncomfortable in the Grey's social settings and if she tried to explain their situation to their friends, it would make it even more obvious that she is out of her element. _Classless even._

"A pregnancy out of wedlock?" Mrs. Bennett, Bellevue Lutheran's choir teacher and church secretary, pipes in. She's known as the Canary by many of Bellevue's finest because not only does she squawk at the podium at church, but she squawks to anyone around town that will listen, condemning others over the sins they've committed. Ironically, Mrs. Bennett's husband was just found with a high price escort at the Holiday Inn just two blocks over from the church where she spends most of her time, but that doesn't stop her from judging every other member of the congregation. The town suspects that she's known of his transgressions for awhile now and the damning of the others is just her way of trivializing his sins and keeping her mind off the real issue at hand.

"You just hush, you old coot!" Mrs. Morgan waves a hand dismissively at Mrs. Bennett. "Don't you listen to her Anastasia. It's the twenty-first century. A woman in her twenties making a good living should be able to bare a child if she wants."

"Yes, things sure have changed." Mrs. Bennett comments. "If I would have ended up pregnant and without a husband, my daddy would have beat it out of me! My age would make no difference."

"Maybe he should have done that anyway." Mrs. Morgan comments.

"Pardon me?" If looks could kill, Mrs. Morgan would be dead by now. Luckily for Mrs. Bennett, they don't or she might be sent straight to hell for it. With the look on her face, she might still be. Who knows what words are going through that woman's mind.

"Don't you have a choir to preach to or something?" Mrs. Morgan barks back.

"Ladies, ladies!" Elena tries to calm the women down. They're attracting the attention of everyone in the salon. "Why don't we just all settle down. Let's change the subject. Mia? Do you have any inside secrets on tonight's event?"

Mia sits up straight, blinking. She hadn't realized that she was starting to cower away from the two women across from her. "Well, my parents are good at keeping everything hush hush, but there's a rumor that the first dance bidding will be different tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I heard Dad telling Elliot that he better be on his best behavior because the women are going to be the ones bidding tonight."

There's a collective gasp among the women in the salon.

"You mean we're going to be bidding on the single men?" Ms. May, a seventy-year old widow who lost her husband ten months ago, fans herself. "I'm gonna find me a piece of fresh meat tonight!"

The ladies laugh.

"Anastasia, you better keep that boy on a tight leash tonight!" Mrs. Morgan winks at Anastasia.

She laughs. "I better. If Ms. May is coming after him, I'm going to have some stiff competition!"

"It's true, Anastasia, we women are like a fine wine...we just get better with age. I'll try to mind myself around your man tonight. What kind of woman would I be if I stole a man away from his pregnant girl?"

Anastasia gives a belly laugh. "I appreciate that, Ms. May. Thank you." Her cheeks actually hurt from smiling so hard. There's nothing like salon gossip to raise a woman's mood.

Mrs. Bennett huffs. "Well, I think it's just tasteless. Selling them off like cattle!"

"Oh, you hush. It's for a good cause!" Mrs. Morgan rolls her eyes. "If you don't like it, then don't come."

"Well, I'm not going to be rude now, Evie! Grace personally handed me an invitation and it'd be poor taste if I didn't come after all that effort!"

"Plus, if she didn't go, she wouldn't have anything to gossip about to her neighbors next week!" Ms. May adds, grinning.

"Oh, you two are horrible! If I wasn't halfway through my cut, I'd be storming out right now!"

"Not until after you paid your tab, Marion." Elena reminds Mrs. Bennett.

Anastasia and Mia remain silent, but can't stifle the large smiles on their faces while the woman bicker back and forth.

The women continue to cluck like hens while Mia's stylist blowdries her hair, so Elena slides closer to Anastasia to have a private conversation.

"Anastasia, are you and Christian planning on moving in together?"

Anastasia is surprised by Elena's boldness. Her question has come out of nowhere. _It's none of her god-damned business._ Anastasia knows she has to play nicely since she's a friend of Grace.

"Um, we haven't really talked about it. Usually, one of us just stays over if it gets late."

"Christian sounds really devoted to this...but, really, he's always been devoted to you, hasn't he? Even when it isn't in his best interest."

Anastasia's jaw actually drops. "What does that mean?"

Elena shrugs. "It just seems that he's always been so busy taking care of you that he hasn't had time to concentrate on himself or his relationships with others."

"You know _nothing_ about our relationship, Elena. You know nothing about Christian. I don't appreciate you speaking about him like that."

"I just call it like I see it, Anastasia. When Grace worries, I worry."

 _Grace?_ What did Grace have to do with this?

"You are not insinuating that Grace…" her sentence drops. She can't even say it.

"I'm not _insinuating_ anything, Anastasia. She said it."

Anastasia is hurt that Grace could feel that way about their relationship. She always thought Grace supported their friendship. She knows that Elena is trying to catch her off guard and get a rise out of her and Anastasia isn't about to let that happen.

"You can say what you want, Elena, but you don't know anything about us. I want you to keep Christian's name off your lips and keep your mouth shut about things you know nothing about. If Grace has a problem with me, she'll tell me herself. She's a grown woman." As Anastasia's voice gets louder the blowdryer cuts out, catching the attention of Mia next to her.

"Ana?" Mia's confused. "What's happening?"

Anastasia shakes her head. "Nothing for you to worry about, Mia." Mia's hair is now dyed and blowdried, but still needs styled. "The blonde looks good on you."

"Really? You like it?" Mia reaches up and touches her hair.

"I really do." It suits Mia. She's surprised by how much it really does.

XxXxXx

Christian heads to Anastasia's apartment to pick her up with Taylor. Tonight, he's gone overboard on security, knowing that the news of Anastasia's pregnancy will spread the longer they're there. Tonight, he'll introduce Anastasia to her two full time CPO's that will trade off during the day. Christian has also hired more security for her apartment building along with added security equipment on each hallway, every door, and all elevators. _Fort Knox security._

He's wearing a black tux with a crisp white shirt, black bow-tie, and platinum cuff links that Anastasia bought him for Christmas and as he walks through the lobby of her apartment complex, several people stop and stare. _Just a pretty face, assholes. Keep walking._

He slips his key into her door and the smell of her body spray hits him as soon as it opens. The mixture is of fresh apples and sweet vanilla. It reminds him of his mother's homemade apple pie and french vanilla ice cream. It's a scent that Anastasia has always worn and one that Christian has always adored. The aroma makes his mouth water.

"Ana?" He calls out, shutting the entry door behind him.

"In the bedroom!"

He knocks on the cracked bedroom door, causing it to open even more. He gets a peek at long dark hair and burgundy lace, making him push the door open even more.

Anastasia turns when she hears him and he stands in the doorway speechless.

"A-A-Ana…" His voice is rough and strangled and he can barely get her name out. His throat is suddenly dry as the desert, but the woman standing in front of him is like a tall, cold glass of water.

"Christian? Are you okay?" Anastasia is worried. He looks pale.

He clears his throat and wets his dry lips with his tongue. "Yes. You look...wow."

Anastasia smiles. "So I look okay? Does my stomach stick out too much? I bought the dress before I was pregnant, not expecting to grow. It's a bit tight, but I was scared to wear a long line bra." She's worried that putting all the pressure on her stomach might hurt the baby.

"You look beautiful, Ana." He reaches out and runs his hand over her stomach. The slight bulge along her stomach is obvious since the dress is tight, but a wave of pride runs through him seeing that bump. He wants to show it off to everyone. If he could glue his hand to her stomach, he would.

Christian takes in her face. "Your hair…"

She smiles and runs her hand over her new length. "Extensions. Mia's idea."

"I'll have to thank Mia, then." He takes her hand and spins her so he can see the rest of her dark burgundy lace dress. It fits to her body and has a soft fishtail bottom with just a hint of a train. The back scoops down low, showing off her flawless alabaster skin. Her feet are in a pair of silver slingback peeptoe heels with Swarovski crystals. Her new extensions are flowing halfway down her back in loose curls. There is a lock of hair from each side of her face, pulled back giving her face a fresh, clean look. Her makeup is light, her lips glossy and Christian is glad that she didn't match her lips to her dress. She's naturally beautiful and there's no need for her to cake on so much makeup. _Fuck, he can't stop staring._

"Christian?" Anastasia cocks her head to the side. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

He blinks a few times. "Yes, I feel fine."

A smile forms on her face. "Are you ogling me, Mr. Grey?"

His cheekbones tinge just slightly and it delights Anastasia. Very rarely can she make her cocky best friend clam up like this.

"Ah, so you are ogling me! I must look good." She pretends to dust off her shoulders, making him laugh.

"You look perfect. I love your long hair." Anastasia cut her hair off after high school graduation and hasn't grown it long since. He misses it. "I wish you'd grow it back."

She shrugs. "Who knows. Maybe I will." If it makes Christian react like this, she just might. Looking him over, she sees that he's the epitome of perfection, as usual. "Well, aren't you the Adonis tonight."

Christian gives Anastasia a boyish grin. "Yea? You think so?" He reaches up to straighten his bow-tie.

"Stow your ego, Grey, and take me to the ball."

Christian and Anastasia have never actually gone to the Coping Together event together, before. There was a couple years in high school where neither one of them had dates, but each refused to ask the other to be their date. High school is such an awkward time for most teenagers and neither wanted the other to read into it too much. By the time they became comfortable enough with each other to ask, they both started finding dates. There had been one year that Anastasia went by herself, but Christian ended up spending more time on the dance floor with her than his date, causing his date to go stomping off in the middle of the gala. That year had been the closest they came to going together.

In the SUV, Christian hands her the masquerade mask that he ordered. She hadn't told him what she was wearing, so he was relieved to see that the black he picked matched her dress quite nicely. He also got himself a similar black mask, the website stating that it was a pair for couples. _Well, they were a couple alright._ A couple of what, he wasn't sure, but a couple tonight nevertheless.

"It's beautiful, Christian. Thank you." The black mask is delicate with a few crystals dispersed throughout.

"May I?" He asks, holding his hand out for the mask.

"Yes, please." She hands him the mask and turns away from him so that he can tie it for her. He's extra careful not to pull on any of her long locks and takes an extra long time tying it so he can take in her soft curls and bare back.

"The only thing that would make this better is if these were yours." He pulls lightly on one of her soft curls and lets it curl around his finger.

Anastasia giggles. "They are mine, I paid for them." She turns and relaxes back in her seat.

"You know what I mean, smartass."

She gasps dramatically and places her hand on her stomach. "Did you just call the mother of your unborn child a smartass?"

Christian rolls his eyes, but can't keep the grin off his face. "I am. And once our baby is born, they'll realize that you are indeed a smartass."

XxXxXx

The line of cars waiting to drop off guests is a long one and it takes almost twenty minutes before they're close enough to the doors to climb out. The SUV behind them houses four more CPOs of Christian's and two climb out of the second SUV to walk behind them. Christian got a CPO for both of them, two to man the front and back exit, and Taylor to supervise and help wherever needed.

There is a part of Anastasia that feels that he might be going a little overboard considering that this is his parent's event, but she knows not to say a word. She knows how Christian feels about safety and she knows that there is more than a couple people that have sent him threats, simply either because he's rich or because they didn't like the way he took over their company. She'll never forget the day she found the death threat sitting on his desk at Escala. It had been in red ink, written in all capital letters, and went into detail in how this person was going to torture and kill Christian. She had nightmares for months following. There are very few things she has kept from Christian, and finding the letter is one of these things. She knows how upset he'd be if he found out she read it. He'd blame himself for leaving it out in plain sight.

Christian, on the other hand, wonders if he has enough security. Taylor has assured him that five security is plenty and that anymore would draw unwanted attention from the guests, making them wonder if the Greys were expecting something to go wrong. With Anastasia pregnant and the news of her pregnancy quickly spreading, he worries that someone will try to take her or threaten her to get something out of him. He could never forgive himself if something happens to her because of him. He also knows that if someone was wanting to hurt him or her, that they might find his parents gala to be the best opportunity, thinking that he might have let his guard down since it's his own parent's backyard. _They're wrong._ He will _never_ let his guard down. Especially now that they have a little one to keep safe.

Anastasia slips her hand into his elbow as they climb out and are immediately hounded by cameramen, all wanting a picture of the billionaire and poster child for the charity. Why Grace allows photographers from Seattle magazines to snap pictures at the private event, he'll never understand.

Christian's arm automatically finds its way around Anastasia and his opposite hand rests protectively over her stomach. The four magazine photographers try to bark questions at them, but Christian just gives them a nod. Anastasia keeps her mouth shut, even though a couple ask her questions about her pregnancy. _If Christian wants them answered, he'll do it himself._ Privacy is important to Christian and Anastasia knows that privacy and safety go hand-in-hand. The more the public knows about the pregnancy, the more likely someone can use it against them.

XxXxXx

Dinner is delicious and, although Grace has been nothing but lovely and welcoming to Anastasia, Anastasia can't shake what Elena said earlier. She hates that she has let Elena get to her, but she can't help but be hurt by it. She has always seen Grace as a second mother and what Grace thinks affects her. She would never want Grace to think ill of her or feel that Christian is wasting his time and energy on her. Anastasia knows she's being quiet during dinner, but she can't help it.

"Attention! Attention, please!" Carrick is standing at the front podium while the servers begin to clear the plates. "I want to thank all of you for coming to our annual Coping Together Charity Gala. Each one of you know how near and dear this charity is to our hearts, so tonight I beg you to open your hearts and your pocket books for this fantastic charity that I just so happen to have co-founded. Now that you all have full, happy stomachs, we're going to kick the night off with our traditional first dance bid."

A few women stand, but Carrick puts his hands up to stop them. "Not so fast ladies, although the bidding for the first dance might be traditional, this year, we're going to be mixing it up a bit. Tonight, you ladies will be bidding on the men."

Women because to scream and clap, whistle and catcall.

Carrick laughs. "I knew that it'd be a big hit. Alright, gentleman. If you aren't married, get up here!"

Anastasia claps and whistles along with the rest of the girls and pushes Christian. "Go on!"

"What?" Christian looks taken aback.

"Go on, Christian! It's about time you use that body to do some good in the world." Anastasia tries to pull him out of his chair and he smacks her hands away playful.

"Alright, keep your panties on woman!" He stands and fixes his jacket. "After this fuss, you better bid on me."

"We'll see."

He looks over his shoulder to scowl at her on his way up and she gives him a wink.

"Do we have all men on stage?" Carrick asks into the microphone. "Alright, ladies, it's time to dig deep in those designer handbags of yours! Remember that we do take credit, check, and cash. Make sure to stop and pay for your dance partner before you leave tonight. The booth is on the back right side of the tent." He points in the direction of the collector, and the woman stands to wave. "Alrighty, who's ready?"

The ladies make a mad dash to the front, making most of the men and married women chuckle.

"Now, now ladies… don't forget your manners… play nicely. No elbowing or eye-gouging allowed."

Anastasia remains in her place at the table, along with Kate who is sitting a few seats away. Christian eyes Anastasia and she gives him a smile. She's interested to see who bets on Christian and wonders if she should really bet herself. She'd love to see him stuck with his Aunt Marjorie or Mia's friend, Emily, who's beyond obsessed with anything Christian.

The men begin to be sold to the highest bidder and the switch up seems to be working in the charities favor. The men are going for almost double than the women usually go for. These women are dying for the chance to dance with their pick. Watching the girls try to outbid each other and fight over these men entertains Anastasia probably more than it should.

When Elliot makes his way to the front, Kate sits up a little straighter and he gives her a wink.

"This handsome man's name is Elliot and he just happens to be my son. He owns his own construction business and-"

"FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!" A girl from the crowd screams, cutting Carrick off. Evidently, the girl didn't care what he had to say about his son.

Carrick laughs. "Five thousand is the starting bid…"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

Women begin to yell numbers back and forth, but Kate sits there calmly. She knows there's no reason to even begin to bid until the bidding slows down.

"Fifteen...I have fifteen as the highest bid. Anyone else going to bid for this gorgeous young man?" The woman who bids last looks around, bouncing on the balls of her feet, hoping that no one else will bid. Kate sees that it's Joanna, her arch nemesis. Kate's eyes narrow.

"Twenty." Kate states raising her hand.

Turning around, Joanna finds Kate in the crowd and throws a dirty look. "Twenty-two!"

Kate laughs. "Twenty-five! You aren't going to win, sweetheart."

Elliot stands on stage, smiling and dusting off his jacket. He's loving the attention.

"Twenty-eight."

"Thirty."

Joanna looks at Kate and chews her lip. Kate knows she wants him, but also knows that Joanna doesn't have Kavanagh money. Kate will squeeze whatever she needs out of her father to keep her man out of the arms of the brunette bitch.

"Thirty! Do I hear thirty-one?" Carrick looks at Joanna, but she shakes her head. "Thirty-thousand dollars going once! Going twice! Sold to the lovely Katherine Kavanagh for a cool thirty K. Sorry, Eamon." Carrick states, laughing. Mr. Kavanagh is sitting with his head hidden in his arms, which are crossed on the table. "At least it's for a good cause! Ms. Kavanagh, come claim your prize!"

Kate jumps out of her seat and as she walks past Joanna, she knocks her shoulder into hers, making Joanna lose her balance. Kate doesn't bother to look back to see if Joanna catches herself. She's too busy staking her claim.

Elliot jumps off the stage and throws his arm over his girl. "That was hot."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Whatever, El. You're mine. _Some_ women would do well to remember that."

Christian is the last of the bunch. There are still a dozen woman waiting at the stage to hear his name be called and Christian looks over at Anastasia and sends out an S.O.S. in his facial expression.

"Are you ladies ready for this last one?" Carrick asks, grinning down at the girls surrounding the podium. "Does he really need an introduction? I mean, he's only the most powerful CEO in Seattle… the youngest self-made billionaire to ever live… Forbes' number one sexiest billionaire who, if I do say so myself, takes after his father in _so_ many ways…"

Christian's chin drops to his chest and he shakes his head. His father is a nutcase.

"Just get on with it!" Emily screams from the crowd.

"Alright, alright. Keep your hair on. Where should I start the bidding?"

Grace stands at the mouth of the tent, watching her son's bidding and finds it entertaining that Anastasia is still in her seat, unaffected by the women that are bidding. Christian, on the other hand, looks like a deer in the headlights. His eyes haven't left Anastasia and he's begging her with his eyes to bid.

"Excuse me, Grace." Elena's husband, Linc, states, sliding past her to head outside for a cigarette.

"Hello, Linc, enjoying yourself?"

Seeing the look on his face makes Grace laugh. She knows that these situations are not his favorite, but he comes anyway, to support his friends and his wife.

"After I take a few drags, I'll be better." He gives her a wink and heads out of the tent.

When her attention goes back to the bidding, it's up to fifty-grand and most of Mia's friends have dropped out. It's down to Emily, who she knows has such a devastatingly harsh crush on Christian, and Ms. May, who lost her husband last year. Ms. May looks determined to outbid Emily, but Emily isn't backing down.

"Seventy-five thousand!" A voice in the crowd yells, surprising everyone. It's a voice she knows well. _Elena._

 _Why was Elena bidding?_ She's a married woman! Her eyes search for her friend in the crowd and she sees her standing there, her eyes nervously flicking back to the mouth of the tent. _She's watching for Linc._ It makes Grace's blood boil.

Ms. May counters eighty, and Elena comes back with ninety.

There is no way that woman is going to win her son. If she has to bid herself, then she will. She looks over at their table and sees Anastasia's eyes narrowed at Elena. Grace relaxes. She isn't going to have to bid. Anastasia won't allow Elena the advantage of the first dance.

"Ninety- thousand. Ms. May, what do you say?" Carrick asks the woman down in front. She shakes her head. She's backing out.

Elena looks smug. No one likes it.

"Anyone else? Okay...ninety going once-"

"One-hundred!" Anastasia jumps out of her chair and the relief on Christian's face is evident.

Elena's jaw sets and she gives Anastasia a look that could kill.

"One hundred and ten."

Grace stands there, shocked. _Why does Elena want Christian so badly?_ Thinking about it, Elena has always had a sweet spot for Christian and it isn't until now that Grace realizes it might be more than a maternal fondness over him. Her stomach rolls and sours. She remembers how upset Elena was about Christian turning down her offer to help with her landscaping when he was fifteen.

" _Have you thought of my offer, Christian?"_

" _I appreciate the offer to make money, ma'am, but I think I want to spend the summer with Ana."_

 _Elena's lips press into a thin line. "I want you to reconsider my offer, Christian. Wasting your energy on a young girl is a mistake. You'll soon realize that."_

" _Elena." Grace stops her. She knows how Christian feels about Anastasia._

" _I just don't want him to screw his life up over some girl."_

" _Elena, stop. Christian, why don't you go upstairs and study for your finals, darling?" Grace tries to keep her son from getting worked up, but she can tell by the look on his face that it's too late._

" _She's not just some girl, Mrs. Lincoln! She's my best friend. If you need someone to do your landscaping, why don't you ask Elliot? Leave me alone." Christian's hands are clamped into fists at his side and Grace is proud of how much control Christian is keeping. A year ago, he would have went flying off the handle over something like this._

" _Christian, go to your room." Grace reaches up and pushes his hair out of his face. The motion immediately calms him. His whole body relaxes._

" _Yes, Mom."_

 _The woman watch him disappear up the stairs and Grace turns to Elena._

" _What are you thinking? You know how hard it is for Christian to stow his anger."_

" _That lack of control is exactly why I want to help him! Physical labor will do well for the boy! He'll work out some aggression in a healthy way and exhaust himself enough to be able to sleep at night. Possibly so much that he'll stop having those terrible nightmares."_

 _Although Grace appreciates Elena's worry for her son, she can't help, but feel that Elena's overstepping a boundary by trying to tell her what's best for her son. "Christian is fifteen. I'm not going to force my son into something he doesn't want to do. He's a child. If he wants to enjoy a summer with his best friend, then I'm not going to take that away from him."_

" _He needs help!"_

" _Elena...watch it. He's getting help. He's doing better." The therapy must be working more than she thought. He's learning to control his anger and she's relieved, considering she expected it to become worse after puberty._

" _That girl isn't good for him."_

" _You don't get a say in that. She's his best friend and it's good for him to have someone he can trust outside of the family. Someone his age he can go to, to vent."_

" _Grace...listen to me. I know that this will help him."_

" _No, Elena. You listen to me. He is my son and I will not force my son to do this. You do not have a child of your own. You have no idea what will help him. If I force him into this, this arrangement could set him back. It's not going to happen."_

Elena hadn't spoken to Grace for two weeks after that and Grace had always thought that it was because Elena was offended by her comment on her not having a child. Only now, does it click that she might have wanted him for other reasons.

As Anastasia stands at the table fighting Elena for Christian, a wave of protectiveness and possessiveness runs through her. She doesn't know if it's hormones or the fact that it's Elena fighting for him, but she knows there's no fucking way Elena is going to win. _He is hers._

As Elena counters back at one-twenty, Anastasia finds herself countering back a ridiculous amount. "One-fifty!"

Anastasia turns toward Elena to see if she's going to counter again, but when she does, she sees Linc standing in front of Elena, his arms crossed. _Fuck._ It's obvious that he wasn't aware of what Elena was doing.

"Were you planning on fucking him, too?"

Linc's voice cuts through the silence in the tent like a knife. There isn't a soul that didn't hear Mr. Lincoln.

"Linc…" Elena reaches out for him, but he shoves her hand away and grabs his suit jacket.

"I'm sick of your shit, Elena. Don't come home." His voice is low and threatening. He gives Elena a warning scowl and then apologizes to Grace as he makes his way out of the tent.

Elena searches the crowd and swallows hard, realizing that everyone has heard their interaction. The embarrassment on her face is evident. Without saying another word, she grabs her handbag and hurries out of the tent, looking like she's about to burst into tears.

After a few seconds of silence, Carrick remembers himself and clears his throat, continuing the bidding. "So, we're at one-fifty. One-fifty going once...going twice...sold to the woman who is carrying my beautiful grandchild!"

His comment changes the air in the room and the guests who didn't know about the pregnancy begin to buzz about and clap.

Anastasia hears a few people try to speak to her as she makes her way forward to collect her prize, but she pretends not to hear them, instead keeping her attention on her best friend.

Christian hops off the stage when she makes her way forward and he pulls her into his arms. "Thank you, Ana."

"Don't thank me. Thank the baby."

He looks down at her and grins. "The baby?"

She nods. "The baby wanted to have the first dance with Daddy."

His heart swells. "Oh, Ana." He squeezes her to him. "Well, I'm glad the first dance is going to be with my baby and my girl."

Without warning, the music for the first dance begins and Christian pulls Ana towards the dance floor. There's no doubt that his parents did it on purpose after the Lincoln incident.

Anastasia's smile widens when she hears the song. "I love Ed Sheeran." The song is 'Kiss Me', one of her favorites.

Christian folds her into his arm and takes her hand. Her other hand finds its way to his shoulder and they begin to dance. "Have a thing for red-heads, huh? Should I dye my hair lighter?"

She rolls her eyes. "Ha ha. I like your hair the way it is, thank you."

His thumb caresses the bare skin on her back. "Thank you for bidding for me."

She laughs. "Oh, that reminds me...you owe one-fifty to the collection woman before we go."

He hisses. "Nice chunk of change for a dance."

Anastasia smiles up at him and then looks down at her stomach. "We're worth it, though, aren't we?"

He releases her hand and wraps his other arm around her, holding her flush against him. "Every cent."

She hugs him around his waist and presses her cheek against chest. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Elena thing…"

"Oh. I'm fine. It was just a little awkward. The right woman won in the end."

Anastasia sighs. "Yea." _She despises that woman_. Elena has been trying to get her hooks into Christian since Anastasia can remember. There was something in her eyes earlier at the salon when she looked down at Anastasia's stomach. It's obvious she loathes Anastasia just as much as Anastasia loathes her, but there was something more in the look than that. She's refused to think about it, but with everything that's just happened, it's bugging her. It's almost like she is jealous. Maybe she is. Maybe Elena had always wanted a child and is jealous that Anastasia is going to be a mother. _Maybe she's jealous that Anastasia is having Christian's child._ The idea instantly makes Anastasia sick to her stomach. It's such an unwelcoming thought. There is no chance that she will ever allow Elena to touch their child. She doesn't care how much it hurts Grace… _Grace._ Her mind comes back to the comment Elena made about Grace. She knows she needs to sit and talk to Grace. They're both adults. She deserves to know how Grace feels about her.

Anastasia squeezes Christian tighter, thanking God that Elena never got ahold of Christian.

"Are you alright?" Christian's worried about Anastasia. She's suddenly gone quiet.

"I'm fine." She looks up at him and he can see that her eyes are full of unshed tears.

"Ana...what is it?"

Sniffling, she shakes her head and presses her cheek against his chest. "I'm just glad I won." When she squeezes him again, he does the same and holds her tightly against him. He knows that this pregnancy is making her more sensitive and he hopes that it's the reason for her tears. Still, he doesn't want Anastasia to feel like this.

The song dies down and he eases his grip on her. "Why don't we go have a seat?"

She nods. Now that she's on the down-slope of the emotional peak from earlier, she could really use a glass of water and a chair. Her legs are actually shaking a bit from her revelation about Elena Lincoln.

Taking her hand, he escorts her back to the table, where his parents and a few of their friends are now sitting. Seeing that there is only one chair open, he motions for her to sit, but she shakes her head. "You sit first."

Once he sits, he pulls her into his lap and she rests against him.

"Drink this." He hands her a water goblet and she empties it quickly.

Grace smiles. "Thirsty?"

She nods. "This pregnancy has me sucking down water constantly. Unfortunately, it also makes me go running to the restroom every forty-five minutes."

Christian's hand finds her stomach. "It's good to stay hydrated, babe." He presses a kiss to her shoulder and rests his chin on it.

"Christian, will you go get me some more water?" Anastasia cranes her neck to look at him.

"But the waiters-"

"Please? I don't want to wait for the waiters."

"Christian, the bar has bottled water. Be a gentleman and go get your date some water." Grace urges.

Anastasia stands and lets him slide out before having a seat again. "Grace, there's something I wanted to speak to you about."

"Is that why you sent Christian away?"

She gives Grace a guilty smile.

"What is it, Ana? Is everything okay?"

Anastasia wets her lips. "Today, Elena said something that was concerning."

Grace's heart drops. _What'd she do now?_

"What is it, Ana?"

"She said that you were worried that Christian was wasting his time on me...that he concentrates so hard on me that he doesn't take care of himself and it basically stifles his relationship with others."

"What?" Grace has no idea what Anastasia is talking about. Elena might be a lot of things, but Grace never saw her as a liar...up until tonight though, she realizes she was blind to a lot of things about Elena. "Oh." It occurs to her. "Ana… I did say that… but that was back when you two were freshman. That was a long time ago. I didn't know you, then."

Anastasia's shoulders visibly relax.

Grace reaches out and squeezes her hand. "Oh, sweet girl, I hope you haven't been worrying over this all day. I love you and I love what you've done for Christian. You're good for him. Perfect even." She knows that Anastasia is the reason why Christian got better when he was a teenager. She had given him the drive to be better and the drive to work hard for his education, because it was important to her. There were times where Anastasia refused to let him come over unless he was planning on studying with her. Grace remembers how put off he was at first about studying, but slowly, he began to see how important education was. Without Anastasia, he might not be the CEO he is today. _He's thriving._ He's a good man. He could have so easily taken a different route for his life.

"I'm so glad I talked to you about this, Grace." Anastasia reaches over and hugs Grace.

"Me, too, Ana."

Anastasia feels silly for believing Elena. She should have never let her get under her skin. She and Grace have a great relationship and she feels terrible for second guessing it.

"Your water." Christian is back and holding the water out for Anastasia.

She smiles up at him as she takes it and places it on the table, unopened. "Thank you, Christian. Let's dance." Standing, she grabs his hand and pulls him toward the dancefloor.

"I thought you wanted water."

"Later."

He shakes his head and lets her pull him to the checkered dance floor.

 _Women._

 **A/N: If you'd like a teaser to the next chapter, let me know. BTW, I will always offer a teaser, but sometimes I forget to mention it at the end of the chapter. If I do forget to mention it, you can still ask for one if you'd like one. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

_Anastasia awakes in a meadow, the sun streaming down on her. The sound of birds can be heard in the trees of the forest nearby. Stretching, she pushes herself up, out of the bed of wildflowers. Looking around, she sees a large house in the distance and the waters of Puget Sound are washing up on the rocky shore about twenty feet from her. It's then that the salty breeze hits her. The white sundress she's wearing is dancing along in the breeze and she can feel her long brown hair tickle her face as it whips around her._

" _Ana! Ana? Where are you?"_

 _She turns at the sound of Christian's voice._

 _Her eyes meet his and he gives her his boyish grin. "There you are. I've been looking for you." He makes his way to her barefoot, wearing one of his white button-up shirts with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of khaki pants. "Where have you been?"_

" _Oh, I...I must've fallen asleep." She looks down at the place where she just woke up._

" _I swear, Mrs. Grey, you spend more time in this meadow than you do the house." He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to him._

" _I...I'm sorry?" She's confused. What did he call her?_

 _He chuckles. "You don't have to be sorry, my love. I bought it for you."_

 _Anastasia takes in his face, trying to make sense of it all. He bought it for her? Bought what? The meadow? She wants to ask, but he looks so happy at the moment...his skin is practically glowing and his normally dark gray eyes are a lighter shade and sparkling. She's captivated by his beauty._

 _She feels his hand caress the side of her face and then he leans in, pressing his lips to hers._

 _It tingles._

 _She's surprised at first, but her body reacts on its own and she finds herself melting into him, her body molding to his, letting him deepen the kiss. Her eyes flutter shut and he picks her up, laying her back on something soft._

 _When her eyes open, she sees that they're in the bedroom of his sailboat, 'The Grace'. The bed is covered in soft, red silk sheets and white rose petals. Candles flicker all over the room, giving the room a beautiful, warm yellow tint._

 _Looking down at herself, she's now wearing a black silk negligee. Underneath, she's bare._

" _Christian…" He's still wearing his khakis, but he's topless. His toned stomach muscles seem even more defined in the dim light of the candles. He leans over her and his arm muscles flex, holding himself above her._

" _I'll take care of you, baby." His lips find the sweet spot below her ear and she practically purrs in response. "That's my girl." His voice is soft and he continues to press soft, sweet kisses down her throat._

 _She's still confused at how this is playing out, but it's so lovely, she doesn't care. She doesn't want him to stop. Her hands find their way to the back of his head, clinging to the short curls that are starting to form. He'll need a haircut soon._

" _Stop thinking, Ana. Enjoy this. Enjoy me." Christian urges her to relax, reaching for the thin straps at the top of her gown and slipping them off her shoulders. "I know I'm going to enjoy you." He looks up at her and the right side of his mouth rises into a smile. "I've dreamed of you for so long, Anastasia. I need you."_

 _She whimpers as he slips her negligee down, sliding down her body. She hadn't even moved, but he does it with ease. Soon, it's on the floor and she's bared to him._

" _You are so beautiful, Ana. Just perfect." His warm, soft palms run across her clavicle bone and to her breasts, palming her nipples. Pleasure shoots right to her core and she moans. His palms are so warm, it feels like his they might leave welts along her sensitive skin. She can't bother to care at the moment, she craves more of his touch._

 _Whimpering, she arches her back and presses her chest further into his hands. "I need you, Christian."_

 _He grins and nuzzles his nose against hers. "All you had to do was say so, baby." Reaching down, he grips the back of her thigh and raises it so that her leg wraps around his waist. She's realized that now, he's bare. She begins to wonder where his bottoms went, but he presses into her and her mind goes blank._

" _Oh, Christian…" She grips his shoulder blades and her eyes roll back into her head. She's never felt pleasure like this before. It was never this good with the others._

" _I've got you, Ana. Let me make love to you. Let yourself go." Christian begins to move and the pleasure shooting through Anastasia is almost unbearable. She needs relief...and fast._

" _Christian...please…" She doesn't know what she's begging for, but something in her knows that Christian will make it better._

" _You're almost there, Anastasia. Just relax. Let it happen." He coaxes her as he continues his lovemaking and she does exactly what he says and relaxes her body. It's then that she feels the familiar stirring deep in her gut._

Anastasia wakes up, convulsing in her bed. It's such an intense orgasm that when she finally relaxes, she's panting like she's run a marathon.

"Fuck." She hisses to herself. She's never experienced a wet dream before. She didn't even know women could have them.

Looking over at the clock, she sees that it's 6:30 am. Well, there's no way she is going to get back to sleep now. Deciding she'll just go in early, she climbs out of bed to shower.

XxXxXx

Anastasia's in the middle of a faculty meeting with HR when she gets a text from Christian.

 _*Lunch at 12:30 okay?"_

Her cheeks light up immediately. She isn't ready to face him, yet. She knows it's silly, but a part of her worries that he'll see right through her and will be able to see right into her dreams from that morning.

 _*Have a lunch meeting. Sorry. No lunch today.*_

She feels terrible that she's lied to him, but she just can't bear to see him, yet. She spent most of the morning replaying the dream in her head, even though she tried hard not to think about it. She had come in early, but hasn't gotten any more work done than she would have on a regular day thanks to her wandering mind.

Christian sends back a frown emoji.

 _*Dinner at your place tonight?*_ She offers, hoping that she'll be able to get herself in order by then. If they eat at his place, she'll be able to leave if she gets overwhelmed.

She instantly feels ridiculous thinking that way. He's her best friend for fuck's sake. He isn't going to hurt her. _Damn hormones._

He sends a smile emoji. _*6:30?*_

 _*Perfect. See you then, Christian.*_

By lunchtime, she realizes that her hormones have taken over her body and they were only getting any stronger. Knowing that there is a shop named _'The Garden of Eden'_ just down the street that caters to adults, she decides to head out to take a peek, hoping she finds a battery operated boyfriend or 'BOB' as Mia likes to call it.

When she first walks in, she worries that the place is going to be tacky, but is relieved when she sees that it's actually quite tasteful...well, as tasteful as a sex shop can be.

In the front, there are racks of lingerie, panties, edible underwear, and shoes for all tastes. Some things are soft and frilly, others dark and leathery. As she heads deeper into the store, she begins to see more of the hardcore stuff. There are contraptions and tools hanging on the wall that she can't even begin to guess how to use. The back wall is filled with different kinds of porn. Lesbian, straight, gay, trans, BDSM, anal, rape play, DDLG...the list goes on and on. She steps back from the rack. Porn is not for her.

She looks over the shelves on the side wall and picks up a display model of one of the dildos. The material is soft to the touch, but when she squeezes it, it doesn't give. It's so rigid that it doesn't bend. She puts it back and picks up another toy. This one is a vibrator. She hits the button and jumps a little when it comes on. The vibration is so intense, it makes her whole arm vibrate. She quickly turns it off and puts it back.

"Need assistance, Miss?"

She turns to see a woman about her age standing there.

"I'm just trying to find myself a toy… I have a couple dildos at home, but no vibrators."

"I can help you. I'm Tess."

Anastasia gives her a polite smile. "Ana."

"Well, Ana...this one is one of our best sellers." She picks up a weird looking vibrator that looks like it has beads inside of it. When Tess turns it on, the beads start to move underneath the skin of the vibrator while it vibrates and shrinks and lengthens.

Anastasia's eyes widen and her mouth falls open, making Tess laugh. "Perhaps this one isn't for you." Turning off the vibrator, she places it back on the stand and picks up another one. "This one might be better for someone who's never had one before. It has ten vibration patterns and strengths. You can control the strength and pattern by these buttons at the base. Here…"

Tess hands Anastasia the vibrator to try out and she's intrigued. "I like the the options, but do you have anything like this that's less…" Her hand runs over the large dildo. It's rather large and she just wants an orgasm. She doesn't want to stretch herself like that.

"Ah, I see." Tess takes the large vibrator from her and takes a few steps to the left, grabbing another one. "This one is a bit more expensive, but has fourteen different options. Not only does it have the shaft, but it has the clit stimulator attached, too. You can control both of these individually. The up and down buttons are for the shaft and the side buttons control the clit stimulator. You can have them both on, or just one. One can be going one speed while the other goes another...or you can have them going simultaneously. It's a great piece."

Anastasia takes the vibrator from Tess and tries out the buttons. The shaft isn't too small or too large and both the shaft and the clit stimulator are flexible enough to form to her body.

"I think I'll take this one."

"Great! I'll grab one of the boxes for you and keep it up front. If you have anymore questions while you look around, just ask."

"Thank you."

Tess heads back to the front and Anastasia continues to wander through the shelves. Handcuffs, butt plugs, butt beads, ball gags, blindfolds… It's hard to believe that these things are so popular. She had always imagined that people that leaned towards the kinkier side had to order the things online. _Perhaps it's more normal than she thought…_

On her way back to the front, her eyes catch a line of riding crops and floggers. _Riding crops? As in...horses?_

Stopping, she reaches up and takes a brown leather riding crop in her hand. The smell of the fresh leather hits her nose and it's enticing. She runs her hand over the soft leather and smacks her hand with it. It stings lightly and just for a second, but the popping sound is satisfying. She imagines how it'd feel against her backside.

Her mind automatically conjures up a visual of a shirtless Christian in old jeans, standing barefoot in his bedroom with the riding crop in his hands.

 _Stop it, Steele!_

These hormones are getting ridiculous. Hopefully, the toy that she's about to buy will help stow her hormones...at least for awhile.

XxXxXx

As the day goes on, Anastasia quickly realizes that her sex drive isn't going to diminish. In fact, since this morning, it's probably doubled. She's too busy at work to use her new toy and she can't keep the visual of Christian hovering over her out of her mind. Knowing that she's going to be seeing him soon isn't helping anything. She really hopes she can get through the dinner without making a fool out of herself in front of him. Christian knows her better than she knows herself; if she isn't acting herself, he'll call her out on it. He'll expect her to tell him what is going on.

When she pulls into her usual parking spot in Christian's garage, she opens her glove box and stuffs the toy into it, hiding it behind her GMC manual. She doesn't want there to be any chance of Christian finding it for any reason. Although she isn't embarrassed about owning her own toys, she doesn't want to deal with Christian's teasing or inappropriate comments. Especially while her libido is so out of control.

On the way up the elevator, she tries giving herself a pep talk. Christian is just her best friend. It's normal for anyone to have dreams like hers about someone of the opposite sex...especially if the person is the father of her child. _It's normal._ That doesn't mean she has to act on it or let it affect their friendship. _Deep breaths, Anastasia. It's no big deal. It's just dinner. He's your best friend._

As she makes her way through the foyer, all is quiet.

"Christian?" She calls into the apartment.

"Coming!"

She stands in the great room, watching her best friend saunter out of his bedroom shirtless, wearing an old pair of jeans that hang low on his hips. His 'V' is showing magnificently over the top of his worn jeans and his feet are bare. _Is he even wearing any underwear?_

 _Fuck._

All he needs is to be holding the riding crop she looked at during lunch and he'd be a spitting image of her vision from earlier.

She's instantly wet and she struggles to keep her breathing in check as he makes his way closer.

"Hey." He leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead. She takes in a sharp breath and his smell hits her like a ton of bricks. It's obvious that he's just gotten out of the shower. His hair is still wet, his skin smells of bergamot and Christian, and she can see a few droplets of water sticking to his chest. She takes another breath in... she can't help it. He smells good enough to eat. She's on sensory overload.

He reaches out to rub her stomach and she has to take a step back.

"Ana?" He's confused.

"Sorry." She can feel the heat rising up her neck and into her ears. They feel like they're on fire. "It's just...Is it hot in here?" She fans her face.

"Are you okay? Are you getting sick?" He reaches up to touch her forehead and when his skin comes in contact with hers, she whimpers.

"Let's have a seat."

She shakes her head. "I think...I think I just need to head home. Climb in bed and fall asleep." _Among do other things…_

Anastasia needs to keep her distance from him. She is so aroused at the moment, she doesn't know how much longer she can control herself. She's worried she's going to do something stupid. Never in her life has she felt like this. She feels like a feral animal ready to attack. She just wants to tear his jeans off, throw him on the couch, and climb on top of him.

The thought of riding him just makes it worse and she finds herself pressing her thighs together.

"Ana, you can sleep here. If you're getting sick, I'd rather-"

She shakes her head. "I'm not sick, I just… I just have some things I have to tend to."

His eyebrows knit together. "But you just said you were going to head home to sleep."

"Oh, right. I just…" She sighs and bites her lip, her hips dancing a little to try to find some relief. Her center is pulsating.

"Anastasia. Tell me what's going on." He grabs her arm and steers her toward the couch, pulling her down next to him. _Too close, too close, too close._

She squeezes her eyes shut. "I can't."

"Of course you can. I'm your best friend. We tell each other everything."

She wets her lips and slowly opens her eyes, finding his iron gray eyes. Her thighs squeeze together once more, her center needing some sort of friction. "If I tell you, I need you to understand that what I am going through is completely normal for any pregnant woman. I can't control this and I don't mean to feel this way."

He shakes his head, even more confused. "Okay?"

"I need you to remember that, alright?"

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind. What's going on?"

"Well...okay...um…" She slides away from him on the couch and rests both elbows on her thighs, her head in her hands. _She can't look at him when she says this._ "Over the past few days I've been very...er...sexually driven and last night I had a very… intense dream about you and me."

Christian's shocked. "You did?"

She nods, unable to uncover her face. "And today, I come in and you're half-clothed and smelling so good and I just...ugh. It's too much."

A small smile forms on Christian's face. "Are you saying that I'm arousing you?"

She lets out an embarrassed whimper. "Please don't make this worse."

He presses his lips into a thin line, trying to keep the smile off his face. "What was the dream about?"

"Christian…I can't."

"It's healthy, Ana. Were you and I… were we having sex?"

She's silent and still for a could of seconds, but he waits. Finally, she gives a small nod.

"And you enjoyed it?"

Another nod.

"Did you come?"

"Christian!" Her head flies out of her hands and she scowls at him.

"Did I make you come?" He slides closer to her and wraps an arm around her and she leans back trying to push him away.

"Christian...please…"

"Just relax, Ana. There's no reason to be embarrassed." He brushes her hair out of her face, but she refuses to look at him. Her heart is beating so hard, she's sure he can hear it.

His fingertips caress her face and he cups her jaw line, dipping down to press his lips to hers. When he pulls away, Anastasia gasps.

"What...um...are you promising something?"

He lets out a low, sexy laugh, making her stomach clench deliciously. He nuzzles her ear with his nose. "Sure, Ana. I promise to be the best you've ever had."

Her whole body startles at his words, but before she can say anything, his mouth covers hers. His dick is throbbing in his jeans and he needs her just as much as she needs him. He's been waiting for this. _He's ready for it._

Anastasia knows that this is a bad idea. This might ruin their friendship for good. She begins to pull away from him, but when he captures her bottom lip between his and begins to suck, her whole body melts into him and she finds herself sliding impossibly closer to him.

Christian feels victorious when Anastasia relaxes into the kiss. His hands find their way around her waist and he searches for the bottom of her shirt, the need to find skin becoming urgent.

His palms find the soft skin on her back and releases her lips, but only to make his way down her throat to nibble on the soft, sensitive skin there. Whimpering, she lets her head fall back, giving him better access to her sweet skin.

Her hands find his hair and she pulls. "I need you, Christian… please." She's panting.

He groans into her neck and hoists both of them off the couch, carrying her straight to his bedroom. She squeals when he picks her up and giggles. Her giggle goes straight to his dick.

Dropping her down on the bed, he takes no time yanking her shoes off and climbing on top of her. She hooks a leg around his waist and pulls him closer to her.

Christian flexes his hips into her, his dick pressing hard into her center, making Anastasia let out a moan. "Is this what you want, baby?"

She nods. "Yes. Yes, please. More than anything."

He groans and kisses her. "Good."

Anastasia buries her hands in his hair and pulls his face to hers again. She craves his lips, his mouth, his tongue. She wants to feel his stubble against her face, his body against her body, his hard-on against her core. She presses her heel into his backside and tries to pull him in closer.

He rocks his hips into her again, sending a delightful shot of pleasure through her system.

"Clothes off." He states against her lips. He reaches down and begins to pull at the hem of her shirt, only releasing her lips to pull it over her head. He allows himself a quick second to take in the beauty of his best friend in her lacy pink bra before his lips attack her clavicle bone.

Anastasia's hips begin to grind against his bulge and she reaches down and slips her hands into his low-riding jeans to grip his backside, urging him to meet her rhythm.

"Impatient girl." He grins against her neck and nips at her clavicle bone. He grinds hard against her.

"Oh…" Her head falls back. "Christian...I think...Oh fuck…" She's panting and Christian realizes that she's close. He continues to grind hard against her, urging her on.

"How's that, baby?"

She whimpers. "So close. Don't stop…"

He slips a finger into the cup of her bra and bares her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth quickly. It's just what she needs to push her over the edge.

Anastasia's hips rise off the bed, her eyes roll back into her head, and her whole body begins to shudder. "Christian...Christian!"

He continues to press his hard-on into her and watches her fall apart below him. Her body reacts so easily to him. She's such a sensual creature. _It's fucking phenomenal._

As she relaxes back against the bed, he begins to nibble on her earlobe. "You are so fucking sexy, Ana."

She hooks her thumbs along the top of his jeans and tries to push them down, although the jeans look loose, they don't budge.

Christian pushes himself off of her and kneels between her legs, unbuttoning his pants. He slips them down quickly and kicks them off, baring his lower half to Anastasia.

"Holy shit." Anastasia gets her first glimpse of him and her head falls back to the pillow. "You do have the cock to back up the cockiness don't you?" She sits up on her knees in front of him and grips his length in her right hand.

He hisses. "Easy, love. You're going to unman me." He's already so sensitive from lack of sex. It won't take much to get him to come.

"But it's my turn." She grins up at him and then bends down, pressing a kiss to his tip.

"Fuck!" His hand grabs the back of her head and he massages her scalp.

Anastasia looks up at him through her eyelashes and opens her mouth taking in his tip.

"Oh, yes, Ana…" He flexes his hips slowly towards her, pushing himself further into her mouth. "Oh, baby, don't swallow. I don't want you to swallow." He doesn't want her swallowing while pregnant. A part of him feels like its a bit like cannibalism if it makes its way to their child.

She continues to bob up and down over the top half of his penis, not willing to test her gag reflex while pregnant. The last thing she wants is to be sick right in the middle of this. She doesn't want to stop. She'll combust if they don't see this through.

Christian watches Anastasia move in front of him and just the visual is about to unman him.

"Ana..baby...I'm coming…" He pulls lightly on the hair at her scalp and every muscle in his body tenses. She slips him out in just enough time for him to shoot his load onto her chest. She pumps his dick, working him through his orgasm and drawing it out longer. When his muscles relax and his dick begins to go flaccid, she leans down and swipes her tongue over his tip, cleaning it.

Christian's blinks a few times and when Anastasia comes into focus, he sees her kneeling in front of him, his come covering her breasts and bra, and his dick begins to grow again.

"Someone's eager…" She states.

"You better fucking believe it." He reaches around her body and unsnaps her bra, letting it fall to her knees. He throws it behind him, not caring where it lands, and scoops her up, laying her back down on her back. "Let me clean you up."

He reaches for her shirt that lay forgotten on the opposite side of the bed and begins to wipe his semen off her chest. He's hard as a rock and enjoys cleaning his mark off of her way too much.

"Too many clothes, Steele." He unbuttons her slacks, and slips his fingers into the waistband of her slacks and panties, pulling them off together. He's too impatient to take them off separately.

As he suspected, her center is bare and he pushes her thighs apart so he can get a better look at her. She's soaking wet and he bends over to nuzzle into her, but she quickly clamps her thighs shut.

"What are you doing?" She looks panicked.

"Eating you out...what does it look like I'm doing?"

She bites her lip. "No one's ever...um…"

"You're telling me no one has ever gone down on you?"

She shrugs against her pillow.

"What kind of selfish fucks have you been with?" He shakes his head and taps her thighs. "Open, Ana."

"You don't have to…"

"I want to. Now, open." He gives her a pointed look, causing her thighs to automatically relax enough for him to push them apart. He wants to make her feel good. There's no reason for her to be embarrassed about it.

His face meets her bare center and he breathes deeply, nuzzling into her folds. He hears her whimper, but he doesn't know if it's from arousal or embarrassment. Right now, he doesn't give a fuck. He knows in a few seconds he'll have her moaning for more.

He kisses her center and then pushes her thighs farther apart, revealing her tight little clit to him. _Fuck._ Everything about her is perfect. His lips find their way to her sweet spot and Anastasia lets out a long, deep moan from the back of her throat. When his tongue comes out to lap at it, she cries out and her hands find his hair, gripping it tightly.

He grins and continues to lap at her clit with his tongue, then takes it between his lips sucking lightly on it while his tongue flicks the end.

"Christian...fuck. Oh, just like that... don't stop." She shoves her hips into his face and he has to hold her hips to the bed while he continues.

Anastasia grips his hair almost painfully and shatters below him, her body convulsing uncontrollably. It's the most mind-shattering orgasm she's ever had and she can't control anything her body does. When she finally relaxes, she lays there like a ragdoll, sucking air into her oxygen-starved lungs.

"Wow." She breathes out.

Christian lets out a chuckle and kisses his way back up the center of her body. "Wow, indeed, Ms. Steele." He licks his lips. She tastes incredible. "Had enough?'

She quickly hooks a leg around his waist. "Absolutely not."

"Thank fuck." He presses his lips to hers and she lifts and spreads her other leg, giving Christian easier access. "Fuck, I need you, Ana…" He can feel her heat against his dick and he maneuvers himself so that his head sits at her opening and he pushes himself into her.

Both of them hiss at his intrusion. She's tight. _Really tight._

"Christian...easy."

His eyebrows knit together and he leans in to press a kiss to her lips. "Sorry, love." She needs to get used to his intrusion. Lucky for him, she's never had a man this size. To be fair, most men aren't lucky enough to be this size.

He moves slower and pushes into her, taking his time. Once he's in completely, he stills.

Anastasia's body relaxes. "Okay, I'm good now."

He begins to move and their thrusts soon become faster. The lack of rhythm has him feeling like a teenager. Their arousal has both of them too anxious to be able to find a rhythm together. Anastasia is bucking underneath him, wanting it hard and fast, and all he wants to do is plow into her. Christian knows he needs to find some type of control or this isn't going to get them anywhere.

He pulls out of her and she pouts. "Turn around. On your hands and knees."

She hops to, eager to have Christian back inside of her. The need for him is so strong, she feels she could tear up at any second. Crying would not be good right now.

Gripping her hips, he pushes himself into her slowly and stills. "How does that feel, Ana?"

"Mmm, incredible." This position is hitting her g-spot just right and when he begins to move, it sends shockwaves through her system with every thrust. She's never been one to be so vocal during sex, but she can't control the noises she makes with him. For all she knows, Taylor and Gail can hear, but she doesn't give a flying fuck at the moment. _Let them hear the delicious sex they're having._

"Christian...harder. Please…" She begs him, clinging to the fitted sheet below her.

Christian yanks her hips back and pulls her up into a sitting position, pressing her back against his front. He begins to piston himself into her and she cries out through his harsh thrusts.

Anastasia reaches for his thighs and digs her nails into them, holding on for dear life. He's fucking her so hard and so fast, her mind can't seem to function. All she feels is the pleasure he's ramming into her, his hands that are gripping her around the waist, and his breath against her ear as he pants. She manages to reach back to cup the back of his head and pulls his head towards hers for a rough, searing kiss before she explodes.

Her hips and body begin to writhe away from him from the force of her orgasm, but he holds her steady, flexing his hips into her so he can enjoy the way her muscles clamp around him and milk him with each throb of her orgasm. He's thankful for the oral she gave him earlier. It gives him more stamina and he's able to keep himself from coming with her.

When she relaxes back against him, he leans over and lays her on her side before laying in front of her. He takes her leg and pulls it up high along his ribs and slides in flush against her, easing himself in again.

"Oh…" She bites her lip as he begins to move again. "You're like a machine…" She giggles and it causes her center to clench around him, making him let out his own moan.

"You feel too good to stop, Ana." He slides his head closer to her on the pillow until they're nose-to-nose. This is such an intimate position and it might be his favorite with her. He loves how close their bodies are.

As he moves, they press kiss after kiss to each other's lips while Anastasia massages his scalp with her fingertips and he explores and caresses every inch of her body with his own fingertips.

"Ana...touch me." He's never been touched during sex, but he craves it with her. Her hand slides down his neck and both of her hands begin to run over his chest and abdomen.

He hums against her lips. "I love when you touch me."

Anastasia can feel herself choking up at his words. She knows she's the only one that can touch him freely, but it seems to mean more during this intimate time. She forces her tears back by swallowing hard.

"Me, too. I love your skin." His skin has always been so soft against his firm muscular form. She's always thought there wasn't an ounce of fat or softness to him until she gripped his backside for the first time tonight. Her fingertips were able to grab onto his round backside and squeeze. It makes her want to reach down and smack it. She now understands Christian's fondness with smacking her own backside.

The hand to the arm pinned under her traces the contours of his abdominal muscles while the other hand wanders around to his back, where she begins to massage his muscles.

"Oh, Ana… that's incredible." Christian grips her hip and picks up his pace.

"Yes, Christian, yes… just like that… don't stop!" Anastasia can feel the beginning flutter of yet another orgasm.

"Let go, baby. I'm right there with you." Christian's voice is strangled and he clenches his jaw, trying to keep himself from coming long enough to get her there one last time. He feels his balls tighten and every muscle in his legs and stomach clench, holding his orgasm at bay. _Come on, Ana…_

Right when he's about to explode, she cries out and wraps her arm around his shoulders, hugging him tightly against her as she shatters in front of him. He feels his whole body go rigid and his fingernails bite into the side of her hips as he explodes inside of her, calling out her name as he releases. _Ana. His Ana._ It's all thanks to her.

Both of their bodies slump into the bed and Anastasia rolls onto her back to try to catch her breath.

"Holy shit." Christian mumbles, holding his palm to his chest. It feels like his heart is going to beat right out of his chest and go flying around the room. It's the most intense experience he's ever had. _She's incredible._ Sex with her is incredible.

"Hmm." Anastasia lays there like a ragdoll unwilling to put forth any more effort into speaking. She's absolutely exhausted, but so incredibly sated.

Christian reaches over and runs his hand along her small bump. "So, what'd you buy?"

She turns her head toward him. "What do you mean?"

A smile forms on his face. "Sawyer said you went down to some sex shop down the street and you came out with a bag."

Anastasia winces. Sawyer is her CPO, but to avoid any eyebrow raises, Christian has Sawyer working away from her office. She had completely forgot that she was being watched. Sawyer has never set foot in her office and she had forgot he was even there.

"Where was he hiding, Christian?"

He laughs. "In the diner across the street."

She covers her face with her hands.

"So, what'd you buy?"

"That isn't any of your business. It's personal."

"I want to know!"

"Why?"

"So, I can picture you using it."

She rolls her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Steele. You got it because of me, didn't you? Because of that dream you had? So...I deserve to know."

"You are so inappropriate."

Chuckling, he slides closer to her and pulls her to his chest. "And what we just did _is_?"

She licks her bottom lip, giving in. "Fine. I bought a vibrator. Happy?"

"Ecstatic. What color is it? What does it look like? What brand is it?"

Rolling her eyes, she pushes away from him and begins to climb out of bed. "Aren't you hungry? It's time for dinner." She heads to his drawers and pulls out one of his blue t-shirts to slip over her head.

Christian watches her naked form look for one of his shirts. When she's clothed and her body is no longer exposed to him, he concedes. "Alright, dinner time." He's hoping that their little romp didn't make the food in the warming rack dry out. On his way out of the room to check, he passes Anastasia and gets a good slap in to her bare backside.

"Ouch!" She scowls at the back of him, rubbing her sore backside. _Revenge is sweet, Grey._ He better watch his own ass, now.

 **A/N: So, they finally did the deed! Let me know if you'd like a teaser for 16!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This chapter I want to give a shout out to** **Helen Koutsis Hadjia (MistressH) for helping me brainstorm! It would have taken me longer to get this out if it wasn't for her!**

Christian's alarm goes off, startling him awake. Smacking the alarm clock to silence it, he stretches and relaxes back against his pillow, a smile still playing on his lips from the night before. He slept so well...so deeply. He can't remember a time when he slept so peacefully. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light and he hadn't seemed to move an inch the whole night. His body is so relaxed; it's thankful for the long sleep.

The door to his bathroom door opens and Anastasia comes waltzing out of it, already dressed in one of her outfits she leaves in his closet. Her long extensions are straight and pulled up into a ponytail and her makeup is light like it always is.

"Hey, look who's finally up!" Anastasia gives him a smile and leans in, pressing her lips to his. "Thank you for last night."

He hums. "It was my pleasure."

She giggles and slips her feet into the heels he threw across the room the night before. "I'm heading to work. Pick you up at 12:30 for lunch?" The two take turns dropping by each other's work to pick each other up for lunch and today is her turn.

"Yep. I'll be ready. Maybe we can stop into the sex shop you enjoy so much." He gives her a cheeky grin.

She rolls her eyes. "You wish, Grey. 12:30." She reiterates, making sure he doesn't forget. Sometimes he digs deep into work and forgets the time.

"Yes, love. 12:30."

As she makes her way through the bedroom, he launches himself to the foot of the bed and grabs her wrist to stop her, pulling her in for another kiss. She giggles into the kiss and pulls away. "You stink. Take a shower." She pecks his lips again and her eyes flick down to take in his naked body quickly, before heading for his door.

Smiling, he watches her sexy little hips sway as she disappears down the hall. He lays back against his pillows, his arms behind his head and sighs. _He could get used to this._

XxXxXx

There is a pep in Christian's step as he makes his way into work and the smile on his face seems to be infectious. Every person that he looks at seems to return his smile, making his great mood even better.

"Good morning, Andrea. Great day, isn't it?"

"Good morning, Mr. Grey. Um, sure." Looking out the window, Andrea sees that it's storming outside. A storm isn't her idea of a great day, but if her boss is in a good mood, it'll make her job a lot easier. "Would you like your coffee, sir?"

"Yes, that'd be great, Andrea. Thank you."

"Oh. You're welcome!" She's surprised by his chipperness. He must have remembered his manners this morning. "Don't forget that you have a meeting with Ms. Bailey before lunch, Mr. Grey."

 _Ah, yes._ He had almost forgotten. Ros has been complaining that his agenda is too full for her to even get a second to talk to him, so she ended up penciling herself in today. "Just send her in whenever she's ready."

"Will do."

Christian gives Andrea a smile and heads into his office to fire up his computer and look over the material for his meeting with accounting this morning to review the budget for this quarter. Management seems to be eating away at the budget quicker than normal and he wants to look over the spending to find out why.

XxXxXx

The door to Christian's office opens and he looks up from his computer to see Ros making her way in.

"Don't you ever knock?"

"Nice to see you, too, C." Ros has a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "It's a little disheartening that your VP has to pencil herself in just to see you."

Christian shrugs. "I've been busy, Ros. You've never had a problem emailing me before. Why is it that you need to make an appointment now?"

"We need to go to Detroit."

His heart immediately sinks into his stomach. "No."

"Come on, C. We have to."

"I said no. You go without me." Just the thought of stepping foot back in that disgusting city makes him want to wretch. There is nothing, but devastation there for him. Nothing good can come from there.

"Christian… it's important. We need to go."

"Why is it so important?"

"Why is such a big deal to you? You've never had a problem with flying out to any of the other companies."

Christian knows he can't tell Ros why he despises Detroit so much. It's none of her god-damned business anyway.

"Just answer my question, Ros."

"Because the numbers aren't adding up. The owners sent us their books and accounting has looked them over. The amount of trade that they're doing and the amount of revenue they're receiving isn't adding up. Something is going on, Christian. We need to go down there ourselves and look into it."

"Why is this so important? If it doesn't add up, then tell them to fuck off and leave it."

"We've got so many shipping yards around the U.S. Christian, but none are on the Canadian side. This shipyard could open up so many opportunities for us in Canada. This could fast track our food trade, making it cheaper, allowing our consumers to have fresher ingredients."

"Aren't there any others to take hold of?"

Ros shakes her head.

 _Fuck._ She knows how to work Christian's soft spots to her advantage. GEH owns a meal prep delivery service that is completely customizable to each person or family. For each meal that the consumer orders, one is sent to a family in need around the United States. If this shipyard really is going to be that profitable, it's possible that they can ship even more meals to families in need with each meal plan.

"When do we go?" Christian feels completely defeated.

Ros gives him a large smile. "If we leave tonight or early in the morning, we could spend Thursday and Friday there and be back for the weekend."

Christian shakes his head, unhappy with this situation. "Fine. Whatever."

Realizing that Christian's mood has plummeted, Ros makes her way out of his office without another word. He's agreed and that's all that matters. She knows to steer clear when his mood is like this.

Christian sits there with a lump in his throat. Every memory he has of that place hurts. His mother did nothing, but neglect him and her pimp did nothing, but throw him around and use him as an ashtray. When Christian stopped crying when he was beat, it pissed the fucker off enough to tie Christian to a chair and make him watch as he beat the shit out of his mother and raped her while she was unconscious. The pimp got him to cry that day, but after that, he didn't cry again until he was twenty years old, when his mom was in a severe car accident and almost didn't make it. Thankfully, she made a full recovery and only carries a few scars and some arthritis in her knees from it.

He swallows hard. He refuses to cry over Detroit. He swore never again. He knows its illogical for him to be so upset over a city. The abuse would have happened no matter what city they lived in, but he can't help, but feel that Detroit is tainted. _He needs to call Flynn._

He buries his face in his folded arms on the table and tries to clear his mind. He can't let this news ruin the good mood he's been in all day. Last night couldn't have been more perfect and he doesn't want the afterglow to be ruined by something as ridiculous as this.

"Christian?"

He lifts his head when he hears Anastasia's voice. "Hey."

Anastasia frowns. Christian looks upset. "What's wrong?"

He shrugs. He doesn't want to admit how much this is affecting him.

"Don't be like that. You make me tell you what's wrong, now it's your turn." She comes around to his side of the desk and shimmies herself in so that she's sitting on his lap. "I'm not moving until you tell me what's on your mind."

He snorts. "Like that's going to get me to talk."

She picks up his hand and places it on her stomach. "Tell us what's wrong. We want to make it better."

He rubs her stomach. "The baby thing isn't going to work, Anastasia. This isn't something I'd ever want my child to hear."

Anastasia's heart plummets. Something is really wrong.

She stands and turns, straddling his thighs so that she can give him her full attention. She cups his face in both hands and forces him to look at her.

"Tell me, Grey. Now."

He searches her eyes and then sighs, leaning his forehead against hers. Having Anastasia so near is helping the sourness in his stomach.

She releases his face and wraps her arms around his neck, resting them on his shoulders. "I'm right here. Please, talk to me. I want to make it better."

Christian's hands run up and down her back. "Ros demands that we go to Detroit."

"Oh, Christian." Anastasia presses a kiss to his nose and hugs him close. She knows just how devastating the abuse that he suffered was. She also knows how strong of a person he is for rising above it. "You have to go?"

"It's looking like it."

She sighs and pulls back just enough to look at him. "You are such a strong soul, Christian. The devastation you went through would have sent any person, let alone child, to the psych ward or prison, but you were strong enough...brave enough...to push through it and rise above where you came from. You could have so easily followed in their footsteps, but you've become such a beautiful human being. It's okay to be apprehensive about it. It's okay to feel how you feel about that place."

"I've spent so much time in therapy over this, Ana. Why the fuck am I freaking out like this? So much money and time went into all of this...and for what? For me to clam up?"

Anastasia shakes her head. "It's natural, Christian. Your therapy has done so much for you. Don't just shrug it off, beau. Therapy works. Just imagine how hard it'd be if you didn't have all the therapy you did."

Christian frowns. "I suppose you're right."

"I'm always right."

Her comment brings a small smile to his face. She can't contain her own smile. "Would you like me to come with you?"

He exhales sharply. "You'd do that?"

"Of course, I would. You've done so much for me, Christian. I want to be there for you. I want to ease you in any way I can."

He licks his lips. "What about work?"

"I can work from the hotel." She runs her hands over the front of his shirt. "What do you say?"

Christian snorts. "I say hell yea."

Anastasia giggles and presses a quick kiss to his lips. "I promise to be here for you, every step of the way."

Her giggle goes straight to his dick and it begins to swell. There's no way he can hide it with the way Anastasia is sitting.

"Oh…" Anastasia's eyes flick down to their laps before her eyes meet his again. "Looks like I've found a way to ease you already." She slides her hips closer and grinds them against his erection. She nuzzles his nose and he raises his chin to catch her lips. _He needs her._

While they kiss, her hands wander down his front until she finds his belt. She begins to work his belt first, then unbuttons and unzips his pants so that she can get to her goal.

"Skin, Ana." He mumbles against her lips, reaching behind her to pull the zipper of her dress down. She slips her arms out of her sleeves and he pushes her dress down until it rests in a rumpled mess along her waist. He reaches around her to release her breasts from her bra, but she puts a finger up.

"Wait."

Leaning back, she reaches for his desk, hitting the button hidden underneath that automatically locks his door. His door gives a satisfying click and she faces him. "Continue."

Laughing, he presses his lips to hers again and unsnaps her bra with one hand, allowing it to fall away from her pretty body. He groans at the sight.

Christian palms at her breasts while Anastasia makes quick work with the buttons on his shirt so that she can get her hands on his skin. She aches to touch every inch that she can. When she has it unbuttoned, she pushes it open and runs her hands over his taut muscle. Her right hand continues to wander down and squeezes his large bulge.

"I need this."

"Don't need to tell me twice." He lifts his hips just enough to pull his bottoms down past his erection and Anastasia holds onto the arms of the chair to steady herself while he maneuvers. Once he relaxes, Anastasia reaches under her dress and pulls her panties to the side, shuffling forward and sinking down onto his length.

"Oh, fuck yes…" Christian's head falls back against his chair. This is exactly what he needs.

Anastasia's arm finds its way around his neck while the other plasters itself to his chest. "Absolutely." She begins to move on top of him, biting her lip to try to keep herself quiet. She needs to mind her mouth here. _She just hopes she can._

He reaches below her dress and grabs her asscheeks, coaxing her to move faster. "Bounce, baby."

She gives him a salacious grin. "Don't need to tell me twice."

He chuckles at her words, but it's cut short when Anastasia begins to do exactly what he said.

"Yes, Ana, yes…" He watches her bounce on top of him, riding him hard, and grips her ass harder. Her breasts are bouncing freely, her head is back, her eyes closed, and her mouth has fallen open. She's the sexiest thing he's ever encountered. He begins to wonder how he managed to stay away from her for so long. He's missed so much time... so many opportunities... with her. He refuses to let this stop. He needs this. _Needs her._ He can't continue without her.

Anastasia leans forward and wraps her arms around him, pressing her forehead to his. Her bouncing slows and she begins to grind back and forth against him, moaning at the intense friction they're creating. "You feel like Heaven, Christian."

He hums. "That's right, baby. Don't forget it." He squeezes her asscheek and then smacks it hard.

She moans out. "Oh, yes… again…" She urges him, hugging him closer to her. The sting feels good mixed with the pleasure of the friction.

"Fuck, you're incredible." He spanks her again and then immediately spanks the opposite cheek.

"Christian, I'm going to come."

"Come, baby." He flexes his hips into her and it pushes her over the edge.

Whimpering, she bites down on the junction between his neck and shoulder, trying to stifle herself.

Christian cries out as her teeth sink into his flesh and he begins to convulse under her, shooting deep inside of her. "Fuck, Ana!"

She giggles into his neck, slumped against him. "Feel better?"

"Immensely. I can't get my fill of you, baby." _He could take her over and over again._

Her lips press against his pulse point. "Me, either. Sex with you is just… yummy."

He chuckles. "Yummy?"

Anastasia nods against his neck. "Absolutely delicious."

He lets out a grunt. "I agree. You're delicious."

She can feel her cheeks heat up at his comment.

"When do we head to Detroit."

Christian's chest gives a pang of hurt. "You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"

Sitting up straight, she looks at him. "I'm sorry, Christian. I just need to know when to be ready."

"We'll probably leave tonight after dinner. We'll come back this weekend. It's about a four hour flight, so we'll head to the hotel to sleep as soon as we get there."

"Does that mean I can wear leggings and a hoodie?"

His eyebrow cocks. "You mean _my_ hoodie?"

She shakes her head. "Possession is nine-tenths of the law, Grey. It's mine."

A grin forms on his face. "Okay." _He might just have to steal it back from her._

"I don't like that look."

"What look?"

"That grin… it's an evil one."

"I have no idea what your talking about, my dear."

Anastasia sighs. "I better get back to the office to get everything packed up." She needs Hannah to cancel her appointments and switch some things around before heading home to pack. She begins to stand and winces. "Now I'm all sticky."

A grin forms on his face. He likes that she's covered with his mark. "Use the bathroom. Or I could always clean you up?" He'd love to wash his mark off of her with a warm washrag. He likes taking care of her.

She scrunches her nose. "I've got it. I need to straighten my dress anyway. Hopefully, it isn't too wrinkled." She doesn't need everyone looking at her and knowing what she did during lunch.

Luckily, when she gets to the bathroom, her dress ends up looking alright once she gets it straightened out. After using the restroom and making sure her hair is in place, she steps out and grabs her handbag.

"So, where to for lunch?" Christian is already fixed to perfection, looking completely unaffected by what just happened. No one would ever suspect a thing, looking at him. It annoys her how easily he can look so put together. She looks him over and a sick sense of satisfaction runs through her when she sees a bruise against his skin at the base of his neck.

"You might want to put a tie on." She taps at her own neck.

His hand goes up to cover the spot. "Savage." Opening his drawer, he pulls out a silver tie and wraps it around his neck to tie it.

"I don't have time for lunch, Grey. I need to get things in order for tonight."

"That will have to wait. Lunch first. You need to eat." Christian gives her a hard look and she sighs.

"A quick bite."

He snorts. "I believe you've already done that." He taps the spot on his neck, making her laugh. Although she hadn't done it on purpose, she's still proud of that mark.

"I never realized how much fun it is to bite."

He gives her a wink and slips on his suit jacket. "We'll grab something downstairs and I'll walk you back to work."

XxXxXx

Around midnight, they finally touch down in Detroit and Ros, Christian, Anastasia, and the CPO's head straight for the hotel to sleep.

Anastasia rests her head on Christians shoulder as they make their way towards the MGM Grand in Detroit. Andrea managed to grab him an executive suite with two rooms across the hall for Taylor and Sawyer, while Ros is booked in one of the luxury suites.

Christian finds Anastasia dozing as they make their way through the city and the sweetness of his pregnant girl sleeping on his shoulder helps his nerves. He hates Detroit already, but being out so late in the city makes him hate it even more. It feels dangerous to him; there are many run down parts of town and the drug and violence rates here are so high. He has to remind himself that every large city has their bad parts; it just bugs him more since his memories here are almost unbearable to relive. He is certain that he'll have nightmares tonight.

As they pull up to the front door, he presses his lips to Anastasia's head. "Love, we're here. Do you want me to carry you?"

Anastasia sits up and blinks. "No, I'll walk." She's sleepy, but not sleepy enough to have people stare while he carries her to bed.

Christian grabs his bag out of the back and allows Taylor and Sawyer to grab Anastasia and Ros' bags.

They're greeted by the concierge at the front desk and Christian gives her their names.

"Mr. Grey, you and the missus will be in the executive suite on the top floor." She states, handing him the key card.

Anastasia stands there, her mouth open and her eyebrows scrunched together. A part of her wants to give the woman a piece of her mind for automatically thinking that since they've come together that they're married, but she's too shocked by the somersault her stomach did when the woman said it. She still has butterflies over it.

Seeing Anastasia's face, Christian chuckles and wraps an arm around her waist. "She's pregnant, so we need to make sure that no one has smoked in that room."

The concierge woman shakes her head. "No, sir. It's non-smoking. I assure you that the room is fresh and the air clean."

Christian gives the woman a nod. "Great."

After Ros signs the paperwork for her room, they make their way to the elevator and then down the hall to their rooms. Ros' is halfway down the hall from their corner suite and Christian takes Anastasia's bag from Taylor so that they can retire to bed.

Christian opens the door for Anastasia and allows her to enter first. She looks over the suite on her way through.

"This is nice."

He takes a deep breath, searching for any sign of smoke. He smells nothing. Nodding, he agrees. "It'll do."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm tired. It's time for bed." Making her way through to the bedroom, her feet slow. "One bed?" Turning around, she raises an eyebrow.

He shrugs. "They didn't have any with two." _Plus, he didn't want to sleep alone in this terrible city._

A part of her wonders if he did it on purpose, hoping they'd fall into bed again. She's too tired to think too much on it right now. Slipping her shoes off, she begins to turn down the bed.

"I want that side." Christian states, pouting.

"Too bad."

"But, it's the side with the USB port."

"You can survive without your phone two feet from you for a few hours."

"But-"

"No, buts."

"I see a butt."

She scowls at him. "And I see an even bigger one." She reaches down to grab the bottom of her Harvard hoodie and pulls it over her head, revealing a tank top. She throws the hoodie on the chair in the corner and reaches behind her, unclasping her bra. She sighs. "Oh, so good." Nothing is better than taking the bra off after a long day.

Christian licks his lips, his dick starting to inflate. Her nipples are hard and protruding through the thin material of her tank top and it's enticing. Anastasia seems not to notice his hard-on or maybe she's just too tired to care.

She climbs into the bed and relaxes back, sighing. "It's way past this pregnant lady's bedtime, beau. Get in bed so we can sleep."

After Christian plugs his phone in on the nightstand, he strips out of his clothing, leaving on his boxer-briefs, and slides into the side of the bed he didn't want. He had half a mind to grab her and flip the two of them over so that he had the spot he wanted, but with her being pregnant, he doesn't want to be too rough.

While trying to wait patiently for him to get ready for bed, Anastasia falls asleep. She's stirred awake when Christian pulls her closer to him and cuddles her, but it doesn't take but a few seconds for her to fall back to sleep.

XxXxXx

It's hard for Christian to leave the bed the next morning. Anastasia is curled up, sleeping peacefully and all he wants to do is curl up with her and fall back to sleep. She had woken him from nightmares three times in the short six hours he had to sleep and he's exhausted. _He hates it here._

He, Ros, and Taylor have a quick breakfast down in the hotel restaurant before heading out to meet with accounting for the current shipyard. Unfortunately, they won't get to meet the owners until tomorrow. They're conveniently out of town today. This might work to Christian and Ros' advantage though. They'll be able to get the truth out of the employees instead of having the employees lie out of worry they'll risk their employment.

Christian and Ros spend the morning walking through the grounds, talking to the employees, and getting a good look at how the shipyard functions. Around 10:00 am they head into the main office building to speak to the accounting team. It's immediately obvious that the team, which consists for only four people, is trying to hide something.

Over and over, they question the team on where the money is going. It's disappearing somewhere, but they refuse to say. The team consists of all women and even when Christian tries to sweet talk them, none of them crack...although there is one that becomes so bashful that she becomes mute and can't lift her head the rest of the meeting.

They sit with the women for over an hour, trying to get any information they can out of them, but they get nothing. Christian hopes that when they come back tomorrow to meet with the owners that he'll have a chance to sift through their books a little better here. There has to be something that they excluded from the books they sent to GEH via PDF files.

Christian, Ross, and Taylor head back to the hotel feeling defeated and exhausted. Christian hopes that Anastasia will be willing to take a nap with him. He knows that she's probably deep into her work at the moment, but with any luck, he'll be able to pull her away long enough to nap for a couple hours. He doesn't think he'll be able to fall asleep without her.

He opens the door to their hotel room and throws the key card down on the table before making his way deeper into the room. He loosens his tie along the way and stops when he sees that the living room is empty. He continues onto the bedroom, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt and the buttons on his sleeves.

The bedroom door is cracked and as he reaches up to push it open, he hears a moan, stopping him in his tracks. Listening harder, he hears a buzzing sound and another moan. His lips slowly raise into a grin. _Anastasia is doing something naughty._

He pushes the door open quietly and enters, taking in his best friend laying on the bed pantie-less, her legs open wide, while she uses her vibrator to pleasure herself. He's rock hard within seconds.

As he makes his way closer, the movement catches Anastasia's eye, making her scream in surprise and clamp her legs shut as she tries to shut off her toy. "I thought you weren't going to be back until later!" Her face is crimson. She wishes the bed would just open up and swallow her whole.

Christian grabs the vibrator out of her hands and has a seat beside her. "I want to help. Open up."

She gives him an incredulous look. "Are you crazy?"

"Lower your voice and open your legs. Let me play." He inspects the buttons on the vibrator for a second and hits a few buttons, figuring out how it works. It begins to vibrate and he slips the tip of the vibrator into the crease between her thighs, shimmying it enough to touch her folds.

She moans and her legs betray her, relaxing and falling open so he can continue.

"Good girl." Christian moves so that he's sitting between her legs and runs the vibrator up and down her slit, making her wiggle to try to find some friction. He sees how wet she is and gently slips the vibrating shaft into her opening, pumping in and out.

Anastasia moans out his name.

"It's not as big as I am." Christian states, enjoying watching it disappear with each push in. "I'm glad." He wants to be the biggest thing that ever enters her.

She hums and flexes her hips back and forth.

"That's it, Ana." He becomes impossibly harder as he watches her fuck the vibrator. He presses it into her again and then pushes the base of it towards the bed, making the tip push against her front vaginal wall. He slowly begins to pull out and when she jerks and cries out, he knows he's found her sweet spot. With his wrist, he circles the toy inside of her, adding pressure to the front wall and then the back and front again, causing a grinding sensation against Anastasia's G-spot. Her thighs are jerking and she grips the sheets as he keeps making her cry out.

"That feel good, baby?"

She whimpers. "Don't stop!" She begs breathless. "Whatever you do, don't stop!"

Two more turns of his wrist and Anastasia comes violently, screaming and convulsing along the bed.

Christian slips the vibrator out of her as she comes down from her high, knowing how sensitive she'll be for a few minutes afterward.

"How?" Anastasia gasps, holding her hand over her chest. "How are you so good at this?"

He chuckles and leans down to press his lips to hers. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

"I want you, Ana. I want you so fucking bad." His erection is painful.

She bites her lip and nods. "Please, Christian."

Grinning, he climbs off the bed and begins to disrobe. As he takes his phone out of his pocket, it begins to go off.

 _Fuck._ It's Ros.

He sighs. "I need to take this."

Anastasia pouts as he answers the phone.

"What is it?" He practically barks into the phone.

"I got a call from the shipping house."

Anastasia pulls her legs up and lets them fall open, baring her bottom half to Christian. Her hand slips down her front and cups her center.

Christian squeezes his eyes shut, trying to stay logical long enough to get Ros off the phone. "So?" He hears Anastasia's soft gasp and his eyes pop open. Anastasia has begun to run her middle finger up and down her slit. When he meets her eyes, she's looking straight at him, her lip between her teeth and small smile playing on her lips. _Tease._

"There are two employees that want to speak to us before the owners come back tomorrow."

Christian has a seat at the end of the bed between Anastasia's legs and pushes her hand out of the way, deciding he wants to play himself. Using his thumb, he begins to rubs circles around Anastasia's clit, making her moan softly.

"Okay? Then talk to them over the phone." _There is no way in hell he's leaving Anastasia right now._

"I think it'd be best if we go back down there and see them face to face."

"That's not going to happen right now." Christian stops his circling and begins to stroke her clit up and down, using the pad of his thumb.

"Oh, Christian…" Anastasia moans out loudly, grinding against him.

"Is...is that Ana? Jesus Christ, Christian! You can't keep off of her for two minutes to speak to me?"

Christian bites back a laugh. "Have you seen her? Do you blame me?"

Ros sighs. "Goodbye, Christian."

Christian drops his phone to the bed. "You little minx." _She did it on purpose._

Anastasia giggles. "She had her time with you. It's my turn, now. Fuck me, Christian."

XxXxXx

They lay in bed in their post-sex afterglow, cuddling. Anastasia feels so content like this. She loves laying naked with him...loves the way his hands wander around, caressing her body as they lay there. It makes her feel so beautiful. He doesn't even need to utter a word. She feels so confident being naked in front of him. The way he seems to savor each second of her nakedness makes her feel so empowered...like she's a goddess in her own right.

"What you said at Mia's party...you were right."

Her random admission confuses him. "What'd I say?"

"You said that if we ever had sex, that you'd ruin me for other men. You were right." Sex has never been so good. She didn't know it could be this good. Sure, she's heard others talk about mind-blowing sex, but she could never grasp the concept. A part of her wondered if they were just lying to brag. Sex has always felt good of course, but nothing mind-blowing. _Not until now._

With Christian, he makes the whole experience mind-blowing for her. Just the way he treats her... craves her. He takes care of her, giving her one mind-shattering orgasm after another, filling her so completely that he makes her feel completely consumed by him. He already seems to know her body so well... knows where, when, and how to touch her. _But it's more than that_. The way he caresses her body, takes in her naked form, holds her...cuddles her… how gently he kisses her afterward. With Christian, it's far more than just sex. They care so deeply for each other that the experience is so extensive..so intense. It surpasses the time-frame of foreplay and sex. The way he takes care of her body, her mind, and her soul afterward. The way he took the time to ease her into sex their first night together… It's beautiful. _They're beautiful._ She sighs.

Feeling overcome with sudden emotion, she turns her head and presses a kiss to his chest.

Christian hums at the feel of her warm, soft lips against his chest. It feels good to be loved on. It feels good to be able to let go and let someone love on him. He craves the affection from Anastasia. He craves it so much that sometimes, it makes him feel like a neglected little boy who's found attention for the first time. He never wants it to stop. It makes him feel cherished and important. He can break down ever wall he has, for her. When it's just the two of them, he knows he doesn't have to be on red alert, worried some stranger or acquaintance will touch his no-touch zones. He can be completely naked with her and concentrate on touching her instead of concentrating on where he's going to be touched.

He had completely forgotten he said that to her at Mia's birthday party. _He meant what he said though._ Her admitting it to him makes his heart swell. It makes him feel invincible. He's the best she's ever had...so much so that no one seems to be able to compare. It means that this doesn't have to stop. He can continue to have her whenever he wants. No one else will get to watch her fall apart below them. No one else's name will be on her lips when she falls over the edge into a beautiful orgasm. _She's all his._ Now that she's carrying his child...now that he's had her...he refuses to share her with anyone. She belongs to him now and he absolutely belongs to her. Honestly, he probably always has... he's just been too afraid to admit it. Until now.

Anastasia presses another kiss to his chest and nuzzles into his chest hair. "You've gone quiet."

The right side of Christian's lips rise into a lazy smile. "I'm just basking in the afterglow of you admitting that I was right."

She grins at his joke and takes a deep, cleansing breath, breathing him in. He's her favorite smell in the world. When she breathes out, her whole body relaxes. She can feel sleep beginning to take hold. Her eyelids become incredibly heavy. She blinks, trying to keep them open, but quickly surrenders and allows them to shut.

"Ana?"

"Hmm?"

Christian buries his face in her hair and sighs. "I am so in love with you." He breathes the sentence, surprised by how easy it is to say. Afterward, though, his heart gives a nervous leap as he waits for a response. He gets none. "Ana?"

Looking down, he sees that her eyes are closed and her breaths are slow and deep.

 _She's fallen asleep._

 **Teaser? Let me know.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A guest asked how she could receive teasers without a fanfiction account. I post my teasers on two Facebook groups, 'FSOG Fanfic Followers' and '** **For The Love of Fifty Shades, Fanfic & Jamie Dornan'. Many other writers do the same, so if you read a lot of FSoG Fanfiction, those are the groups to follow!**

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 **Detroit Part II**

Christian and Anastasia enjoy dinner with Ros and their CPO's, but it's obvious that Ros is still a little put off over what happened earlier. Christian feels frustrated with Ros. She can't expect him to live and breathe work. He'd go crazy if he allowed work to swallow him whole. _Sure_ , he knows that since becoming Anastasia's donor he hasn't been as available as he used to be, but he isn't willing to ditch his responsibilities to Anastasia because Ros wants access to him 24/7. He understands that he still has a responsibility to his company, but he's able to juggle his responsibilities to both.

When Christian scowls at Ros over her attitude during dinner, Anastasia pinches his thigh under the table. She feels that it's her fault and Ros has a reason to be a bit put off over the situation. If it wasn't for her hormones, Anastasia would have never done that. Hormones make her brave. Her need for Christian outweighed her logic. Christian came to Detroit for work and he ditched working for a romp with her. No wonder Ros is hot-headed over it. She wants to apologize to Ros about it, but she doesn't want to bring it up. She worries that Ros will begin to ask questions and she'll have no way of knowing how to answer. Right now, she's enjoying what she and Christian have and she doesn't want anything ruining that. She doesn't want to overthink it.

"So, what are your plans for after dinner, Ros?" Christian asks with a cheeky grin on his face.

Ros gives him a scowl. "I'm going to do what I came here to do and _work,_ then I'm going to Skype my wife who didn't get to come on this little outing."

"No one said she couldn't come, Ros." Christian's jaw ticks.

Anastasia's shoulders slump. "I'm sorry." She feels bad that Ros is so upset. Ros doesn't understand the significance of this place for Christian and Anastasia cannot explain it to her. Ros must feel like Anastasia is imposing. She wishes she would have stayed in the hotel room and called room service instead of coming down with Christian. At least, then, they would be able concentrate on work instead of Christian fretting over Anastasia.

Ros sighs. "Ana, I didn't mean to make you upset. I'm just frustrated with Christian. I've never seen him so unfocused before. Work has always been so important to him and I could always depend on him to help with anything and now, I can barely get a second to even see him. I know he's trying to be a good man for you and your baby, it's just something I need to learn to navigate. He isn't going to be in work mode 24/7 like he used to...and it'll probably get even worse after the baby is born. I'm sorry that I'm so irritable. It's just a change for me. I'll get used to it."

Now, Christian feels bad. "Ros, things have changed and are going to change even more, but perhaps I have been a little unfocused since Anastasia's been pregnant. I know I need to concentrate more on work. I'll never be the workaholic I was before Anastasia became pregnant, but I promise to do better at being available and focus more on work during business hours."

Ros nods. "That's fair. What are you two doing tonight?" Ros wiggles her eyebrows and Anastasia colors. "By Ana's face, it seems like something fun."

"I was hoping to go swimming." Anastasia looks at Christian. "They have an indoor pool. Maybe I can do that while you work with Ros?"

Christian shakes his head. "You are not going down there by yourself."

Her eyebrows knit together. "Even if Sawyer comes with me? Sawyer and Taylor will swim with me, won't you guys?"

Christian growls at the thought of those two in bathing suits around Anastasia. His jealousy kicks in full force. He doesn't want her looking over their two muscular bodyguards with no shirts. _She should only be ogling him._

"You aren't going without me." _That's final._

"It's fine, Christian. Just go with her. Tomorrow, though, be ready to work all day." Ros gives them an encouraging smile.

XxXxXx

While Christian looks through his bag for his swim shorts, Anastasia steps out of the bathroom in her black bikini, making him stop in his tracks. Her bikini it tiny. Her bottoms are practically thongs, showing the roundness in her backside and hang low enough to accentuate her baby bump. _He isn't sure how he feels about this._

"Don't you dare start, Grey. I see that look on your face. I won't be able to wear these much longer and I've never allowed you to control what I wear. Just because I'm carrying your child, don't think you get to throw your weight around now."

His teeth grind together and he continues to dig through his bag. Finding a casual button-up, he throws it at her. "You'll wear this as a cover up until we get to the pool."

She holds the light blue button-up in her hands. It smells of Christian and freshly laundered linen, so she decides not to fight him on it. _Compromise, Steele._ "Alright, but that means you'll wear a shirt too."

He nods. "Deal."

They make their way down to the pool together, giving Taylor and Sawyer the night off. Christian takes his phone, just in case he needs to call Taylor in an emergency.

When they enter the pool area, they are relieved to see that it's mostly empty. There's only two young women who are sitting in the hot tub.

"I'll get the towels, baby." Christian makes his way over to the opposite side of the pool, next to the young women. The big, white towels are folded on shelves and he busies himself with getting two for each of them. One to dry and one to lay out on the lounge chairs.

He hears the blonde in the tub give a snicker. "Do you see her?"

His eyebrow immediately cocks and he pretends to be looking through the towels as he listens.

"Can you say sit-ups?"

The brunette snorts. "Doesn't she realize that bikinis aren't made for women shaped like her?"

Christian's finds his jaw ticking and his hands balling into fists.

"Excuse me, ladies…"

The both turn to look at him and give him bright smiles. "Hello, there." The brunette batts her eyelashes at Christian.

"I couldn't help, but overhear what you were saying. That happens to be my wife and she's actually pregnant with my child. Even if she wasn't, there is nothing wrong with her figure. Who are you to judge what someone else wears? Every person is beautiful in their own way and it's unfortunate that you two are too shallow to realize that. I've found that most shallow people really have low self-esteem, but I want you to know that blowing out someone's light isn't going to make yours any brighter. You better pray that she didn't hear your venomous words and this better be the last you speak of her tonight, or we're going to have a problem."

The blonde rolls her eyes. "Like there's anything you could do."

"Oh, you'd be surprised the kind of power I have." His jaw sets and he gives each one of them one last look before heading back to his girl.

When he returns to her, she's sitting at the edge with her feet in the water.

"Everything okay?"

He tosses the towels on a couple of loungers and nods. "Yes, everything is perfect."

Anastasia watches as Christian jumps in beside her, and does a couple laps up and down the rectangular pool. She's mesmerized by the way his back and arm muscles flex as he moves and how fast his body can carry him in the water. _He's one strong man._ Her heart flutters. He's just too beautiful for words.

His form swims towards her and pops up at her feet, making her smile. He reaches up and rubs her stomach and gives it a kiss. "Get in the water." He tugs lightly on her ankle. _Wasn't this her idea?_

She slips into the water and sighs. It's warm and feels good on her sore muscles. Having sex with Christian sure is satisfying, but he makes her use muscles she didn't even realize she had. She relaxes back and lets herself float for a few seconds. It doesn't last long, because she can feel Christian staring at her.

Christian watches her, worried that she'll start to go under. The deep end is six feet and he's able to keep his head out of the water by standing on the pads of his feet, but it's too deep for Anastasia to touch.

"What is it?" Anastasia's annoyed.

"Just watching."

"Why?"

He reaches over and pulls her to him, holding her against him. Although she's angry with him, she wraps her legs around his waist, craving the contact. "I just like to look." He's lying, but he doesn't want to start bickering.

"You think I'm going to drown." The small twitch of his lips tells Anastasia all she needs to know. "You're ridiculous."

The grin that Christian was trying to hide widens. "Alright, alright. Maybe. But, can you blame me? You are about the most uncoordinated woman alive."

Anastasia cannot contain her giggle. "Okay...maybe you're right."

"Maybe?"

She gives him a smile. "Just maybe." She wraps her arms around his neck. "Guess you'll just have to carry me around the pool then."

"Or you could move to the shallow end."

She pouts.

"Or I'll carry you."

Her smile returns.

"Spoiled." He murmurs, giving her a wink.

"It's your fault. Now, carry me peasant!" She presses a kiss to his mouth.

Christian's eyes narrow. "Peasant, huh?" In one swift move, he pulls her off of him and throws her, making sure she lands face up so that her back hits the water first. She squeals on the way and when she comes up, she's giggling.

Anastasia swims back to him. "Do it again!" She hasn't been thrown like that since she was a little girl and she forgot how much fun it was.

"Of course, you'd enjoy that."

She gives him a wink. "I like it rough."

He grabs her again and throws her one more time, making her giggle and squeal.

"I forgot how much fun it is!" She swims back to him, smiling.

"Throw me, then." He pulls her to the five foot mark and wraps an arm around her neck, pulling his legs up, so she can hold him under his thighs and back. "It's my turn."

She laughs. "Just think, I might have one of these growing in my stomach right now." She rocks him back and forth like a baby. "Baby Christian."

"I didn't ask you to coddle me, I asked you to throw me."

"Okay, fine. Ready? One...Two...THREE!" Instead of throwing him, she releases him and pushes his head under the water. As soon as he disappears, she tries making a run for it, but doesn't make it very far before he catches her.

"You're going to get it!"

XxXxXx

Playing in the pool last night really helped with Christian's sleep. He wakes after a restful sleep and is surprised that his alarm is going off.

An annoyed growl comes from the small pregnant woman beside him. "Turn that off."

"Good morning to you, too." He reaches over to silence the alarm and stretches. Today they meet the owners of the business. He's hoping it goes rather smoothly, although he doubts it. They're hiding something and they aren't going to give it up willingly.

"I'm not ready for morning, yet."

"Me, either." He curls up to her and pulls her against him, enjoying her warmth.

"Okay, let's go back to sleep."

"Sounds good to me." He nuzzles into her hair and sighs. _Anastasia is his sanctuary._

"Christian?"

He startles and grunts, realizing he was half asleep.

"I don't think Ros would appreciate you sleeping the day away when you're supposed to be here for business. Remember what you promised last night?"

Christian grunts again. Yes, he remembers, but he wasn't curled around Anastasia when he promised. "Fine. Wanna shower with me?"

Anastasia snorts. "No. I'm going back to sleep."

"Could have made my whole day...but, no. Ms. Queen has to get her beauty sleep…" He sits up to climb out of bed and Anastasia grabs one of her pillows and turns, smacking him with it, making him stop in his tracks.

"Did you just…?"

Anastasia smiles at him.

"Do it again, Anastasia Rose. I dare you."

Her eyes flick down to the bed, deciding if it's worth it. She bites her lip and her eyes meet Christian's again before smacking him in the side.

"That's it!" He dives for her, making her scream, and wrestles her pillow away from her. "My turn!"

"No!" She squeals, grabbing another pillow. "You're mine, Grey!"

XxXxXx

Although Christian didn't get to share his morning shower with Anastasia, the pillow fight was another great way to start his morning. She always has such a way of making him feel so free and young at heart. It does so much for his stress levels. Even now, sitting in the conference room waiting for the owners to walk in, he can't keep the smile off his face.

"You're looking pretty smug this morning, C." Ros grins, looking him over.

He shrugs. "I'm happy."

"You're in love."

His smile gets impossibly larger. "That, too. But, don't mention that in front of Ana. She doesn't know."

Ros laughs. "Bull shit. It's obvious that both of you are in love. You two are so damn cute together, it makes me sick."

"You think Ana is in love with me?" Christian is hopeful.

"I know she is. A woman doesn't put her life on hold just to jump on a plane to be with her best friend for two days. You're the center of her world. Any sane person can see that."

 _God, he wants to tell her._ He wants to kick himself for not telling her last night. He's dying to hear Anastasia say it back. If they love each other, then that means they can move forward. _Maybe even move in together._ He'd love waking up to her beautiful form every morning...especially if it is naked.

"Have you spoken to the two employees that were requesting to speak to us?"

Ros shakes her head. "I promised that I'd speak to them after our meeting today, under the cover of wanting to know how their jobs function."

Christian nods. Now that he isn't about to bury himself into Anastasia, he's curious to hear what the men have to say.

There's a knock on the door and they swivel around in their office chairs. Two men walk in. The first is wearing a black suit that is one size too big for him, making it obvious that it isn't his usual workwear. His hair is short and parted down the side with mousse, but it does little to help the hair that sticks out oddly all over his head. It's a new haircut. _At least he's trying._ The second is wearing a red button-up, dark wash jeans, black motorcycle boots with chains and his graying hair is so long that it lays at his shoulders.

When Christian's eyes meet the second man's, his whole body gives a jolt, the feeling of ice surging through every vein in his body. _He's met this man before._ His hair might be longer and his face more wrinkled, but it's him. _He'd never forget that face._ The way this man used to smell...like stale cigarettes, hard liquor, and absolute filth comes flooding back and his stomach heaves. He has to swallow back the bile that rises in his throat. He can still hear the sound of his boots on the hard floor...the way the chains on them would rattle as he'd get closer and closer...and the way he'd laugh when Christian would cry. A deep, gravelly laugh that still haunts him in his dreams.

 _No way._

 _He can't do this._

Ros stands to greet them and Christian takes the advantage and dips out of the room quickly, refusing to look back.

"HEY!" _His_ voice stops him in his tracks.

Taylor is right behind him, making him feel a little calmer, but not much. He forces himself to turn around.

"Where's the fire, Mr. Grey?" The man's lips curl into a disgusting grin, showing his yellowing teeth.

 _He doesn't know._ He doesn't recognize Christian.

Christian uses this to his advantage and makes his way back to the fucker, punching him right square in the nose, causing the asshole to hit the ground, holding his nose.

"Christian!" Ros screams from the room. "What are you doing?"

"What the fuck?" The abusive monster looks up from the floor at Christian, acting the victim. It pisses him off even further. He gives the man a good, swift kick to the ribs.

" _That_ is for the little maggot."

The breath leaves the man on the floor. He looks speechless, but Christian doesn't give a fuck. He turns and stalks down the hall, Taylor behind him.

"Taylor, call the Sheriff. I know what they're doing with the money."

XxXxXx

Refusing to spend anymore time at the shipyard, Christian speaks to the Sheriff on the way back to the hotel and offers to make a sizable donation to the police department if they open up an investigation on the owners of the shipyard. Ros is still confused by the situation, but she's just going to have be confused for a little longer. He feels like he's barely keeping it together as it is and if he has to try to explain himself, he might shatter right in front of his VP. _That can't happen._

 _He needs his Ana._

Christian practically sprints to their hotel room door when they get off the elevator, but he's too anxious to get the key card to work. Three times he tries to put it in the slot and each time, he fails.

"God fucking damn it!"

The door opens and Anastasia is standing there with a highlighter in one hand and a pencil behind her ear. She looks surprised.

He practically stumbles in the door and shuts it behind him, locking the deadbolt.

"Christian...what's happening?" Anastasia feels a little panicked by his actions.

Turning toward her, he can feel his body begin to shake. He's held in his emotions for as long as he could and now he can finally fall apart. He flings himself at her, hugging her tightly to him and he brings them both to the floor as he sobs into her shoulder. The highlighter and pencil both fall to the floor next to them, forgotten.

"What? What happened? Christian...please, tell me!" Anastasia finds herself crying, too, although she isn't sure what's happening, yet. Christian's reaction is heartbreaking enough. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and rocks them side-to-side. "I'm right here, Christian. I'm here for you. Tell me what's wrong."

"The pimp." He croaks out against her neck.

"The pimp? What...what? The one who hurt you?"

Christian nods against her.

"What about him?"

"The owner." He's sobbing too hard to explain further, but Anastasia understands.

"He's the owner of the company? Holy fuck…" She holds him tighter to her and runs her fingers through his hair, knowing it calms him. "I'm so sorry, Christian. I'm here. I'm here for you. Take your time. I'm not letting you go." She presses a kiss to his hair and continues to rock them slowly back and forth.

They sit there for a long time, so long in fact that their butts are numb and their backs hurt, but neither move. Anastasia allows Christian to cry it out while she cries silently for him. Detroit will always be tainted for Christian. There is no way that Christian will ever want his name tied to it, now. Anastasia knows that he won't buy the shipyard. He wouldn't be able to stomach that. He could never hand money over to that satanic bastard or stand where the bastard stood. He defiled the shipyard; it will never recover. Not in Christian's eyes.

When Christian composes himself somewhat, he realizes just how uncomfortable this position must be on Anastasia. Sniffling, he sits up, feeling his back crack as he straightens.

"Uncomfortable?" Anastasia asks, hearing the crack of his back. She reaches up and wipes the wetness from his cheeks.

"Let's lay in bed."

She nods. "Okay."

As they climb into bed, he turns away from her and reaches back for her arm, pulling it around him before scooting back against her.

Her heart breaks and she lets out a small sob. _He's letting her be the big spoon._ She holds him tight and cradles his head in the crevice of her elbow, pressing kisses to his hair over and over. She doesn't know if anything is going to make him feel better right now, but damn it, she's got to try. He needs a love overload and she's going to shower him with it.

"He didn't even know who I was." Christian says quietly after they lay there for awhile.

Anastasia's relieved that he's willing to talk about it. "Did you tell him?"

"Not until after I hit him."

"You hit him?"

Christian nods.

"How'd that feel?"

"It felt good when I did it, but now I feel like I've sunk to his level. He just hurt Ella and me so much and I just wanted him to hurt, too. I'm no better than him."

"Christian! Don't you say that. He's a satanic monster. You were sick of being the victim and you took your power back. All he got was some well deserved karma, is all. He deserved it. What he did to you… what he did to Ella… you two didn't deserve it. He used his strength and power to control your mother and abuse you. You don't have that in you, Christian. You could never manipulate or abuse anyone."

"But, I have control issues, Ana."

"Because you had no control when you were a toddler. The only control that you're seeking now is the control to keep everyone around you safe. That isn't a bad thing. You're trying to protect us. It's true that sometimes we feel like you're overprotecting us, but we still appreciate it and love you for it. You've a beautiful heart and soul, Christian. You are such an incredible man. So incredible, in fact, that I can't even begin to describe just how lovely you are and how much we love and adore you." She presses a kiss to the skin behind his ear.

"I love you, Ana."

She smiles. "I love you, too, Christian."

He sighs. "No, I mean I'm in love with you. I don't want to play this back and forth game anymore. I don't want to pretend that we're just best friends that make love and have incredible sex. I'm in love with you and I want to be with you. _Really_ with you. Today just drove home the fact that I need to tell you and stop fighting this. I've fought it for too long."

Anastasia squeezes him. "Oh, Christian." She's so happy she could burst. She can feel tears bubbling up again, but this time they're welcome.

"I've always sort of known that there was something more between us than just best friends and I think that's why I always tried to keep my physical distance. I pretended to hate hugging and cuddling you because I knew if I let myself do that, then I'd just fall harder for you and it'd consume me. When you started the IVF and you got pregnant, I just couldn't stay away anymore. The physical closeness we have now has fueled my feelings for you and now that we've had sex...now that I know just how good we are together...I can't pretend anymore."

Warm, wet tears fall down Anastasia's cheeks at Christian's admission. "I love you, too, Christian. I'm so in love with you that it hurts."

Christian cranes his neck to look at her. "You do?"

Anastasia nods. "Absolutely."

He turns in her arms and wraps his own around her, pulling her in close. "Thank God, Ana." He nuzzles into her neck, breathing in her scent. This has been such an emotional day, but now that he has Anastasia...now that he knows that she feels the same way he does...he feels like he can get through anything.

When he lifts his head, she smiles up at him, eyes sparkling. "You're mine, Christian. All mine."

He laughs. It's cathartic. "Yes. And you're mine. Both of you belong to me." He rubs her stomach and she nuzzles into his neck. "We're going to be a family, Ana. A real family."

Her heart swells. "Yes. I love that."

"Let's buy a house together."

Anastasia's whole body jolts. "What?" She laughs. "Christian! We just admitted our feelings to each other."

"Our apartments aren't any place for a child. They need room to run and play. They need a place that's safe and not one full of strangers that walk the halls and glass and elevators and flights of stairs. Our child deserves to play outdoors on their own swing set in their own grassy yard where no one will hurt them."

She sighs. This is really sudden. She feels like her whole life has been turned inside out for the second time this year.

"Just promise me you'll look at houses with me. Just take that step." Christian needs Anastasia to agree to this. He wants a family in a real house with plenty of room to grow and run.

 _That's easy enough._ "I can do that."

"Instead of kissing on it, let's make love on it." Christian wiggles his eyebrows, making Anastasia giggle.

"I like that idea."

He pushes himself up on his knees and rolls her onto her back. "Clothes off, Steele." He yanks her bottoms off quickly and licks his lips when he sees her naked bottom half. _Oh, he's going to enjoy this._

 **A/N: If you want a teaser for the next chapter, let me know.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I know it's been awhile since I've updated, but I've had some issues with my parents that I had to deal with and then I ended up having a sinus infection and bronchitis, so I wasn't up to writing. I needed to concentrate on myself for a few days, but now I'm better and back.**

The past few days have been bittersweet for Christian. He's come face-to-face with the one person he can say he honestly hates; the one he never wanted or expected to see again. What are the odds that his abuser would show back up in his life twenty-two years later? He has dedicated most of his life to making sure that he never finds himself a victim again. He's spent years in therapy, strengthening his mind and mental health and now spends five days a week working on his physical strength. He knows that he'll never be the perfect specimen, but before coming face-to-face with the monster, he thought he was in great shape. Sure, he's got a few control issues, but he felt positive about himself and where his life was heading. _Until now._ Now, everything has changed.

 _Fuck._ He barely kept his composure long enough to reach the hotel and he ended up shattering right in front of Anastasia. _He should be stronger than this_. It's been more than enough time to get over his demons. He doesn't understand why one look at the mother fucker sent him into hysterics. The fucker is just a man..a pitiful one at that. Nothing special. _Yea, just a man that beat his mother and himself._ Just thinking about what happened as a toddler makes the cigarette marks burn again. The asshole might have left his life, but his print on Christian will last forever. The six burn marks on his chest and the five on his back will always be a constant reminder. _His mark._

Thank God for his beautiful Anastasia. She is his rock. She's the person he can go to about anything and he knows she won't judge him for any of it. He sobbed into her neck like a child and not one part of him felt embarrassed over it. He was disappointed in himself for being so brittle, but he knows that Anastasia didn't feel that way. Still doesn't. She is such a beautiful creature. She knows how to make him feel normal...make him feel like he isn't a shattered three year old stuck in a grown man's body. She's assured him over and over that what he is feeling isn't a defeat, but part of his journey. _His Journey._ It makes him feel so much better. He's hoping that by the end of this journey, the fucker will have no more hold over him.

The only good thing to come out of Detroit is their relationship. He finally admitted his feelings for her and she admitted that she feels the same. She's his now. _Really his._ She's his everything. His best friend, his rock, his lover...the mother of his unborn child. His whole world is wrapped up in the girl sitting next to him.

"You're awfully quiet." Anastasia states, looking Christian over. He's driving them to his parents for Sunday dinner. He keeps reaching up and running his palm over his chest and it's worrying her. She isn't sure if he's getting sick, has a rash, or something else...but she can't help but notice that his palm is following the line of scars along his chest. A part of her wonders if his head is still stuck in Detroit, but she doesn't want to force the subject on him before they get to his parents unless he brings it up himself.

Christian sighs. "I've got a lot on my mind." Reaching over, he takes her hand in his and brings it to his lips.

"Want to talk about it?"

He rests her hand on his thigh and reaches for the stick shift as he slows down at a light. "I can't stop running the last few days over in my head."

Anastasia frowns. She knows that he's having a hard time with this. She wishes it could be easier for him.

"I can't get his disgusting face out of my head." In the twenty seconds it took him to realize who it was, he had seemed to memorize every mark and wrinkle in the monster's face. The fucker keeps popping into his head, taking over his dreams, and ruining his time with Anastasia. "I don't understand why I deserve this. Out of everyone in the fucking world, why did it have to be him? Why did we have to come face-to-face again?"

"Oh, Christian." Anastasia squeezes and rubs his thigh, soothingly. "I'm so sorry you're having such a terrible time with this. I know it's hard to swallow right now, but maybe it's fate."

He snorts.

"No, just listen to me for a second. Maybe you were meant to meet again because you are the only one who knows how much of a monster he really is and the only one who has the guts to do something about it. If the police find what you think they will, then John-"

"Don't say his name!" Christian's whole body jolts at the fucker's name.

"I'm sorry...then the monster will get what he deserves and won't be able to abuse or control anyone else. Karma will prevail. He'll get what's coming to him in prison and you'll just become a stronger person over it. I know it's hard right now, but I promise you, Christian, this isn't going to break you. This is only going to make you stronger. You'll be an even better person because of this." Anastasia offers him an encouraging smile and Christian automatically relaxes at her words. _She always knows what to say._

"Thank you, Ana."

She shakes her head. "No need to thank me, Christian. I want to be here for you. I'll always be here for you. I know that what you're going through is hard and it's going to take awhile for you to overcome the devastation that you suffered over the last few days. I'm here to stand by you, hold your hand, and kiss your worries away as much as I can."

Christian grins. "I like that idea." He wiggles his eyebrows, making her giggle.

He pulls into his parents driveway and turns the vehicle off. Anastasia takes off her seat belt and reaches for the door, but he stops her.

"Wait."

Her eyebrows knit together. "What is it, Christian?"

"Give me a kiss." They've decided to wait a little while before telling their families that they're together. Since it's so new, they want to navigate it on their own first. It's important that they take this relationship on their terms, without the others influencing anything. Christian wants to get one more kiss in before he can't touch her for a few hours.

"So demanding, beau." Anastasia teases, leaning over the center console to kiss him. She begins to pull back, but he grabs the back of her head and leans into the kiss, deepening it. He doesn't release her until they're both oxygen-starved and panting.

"Hell, Christian. You're going to suck the life right out of me."

Christian chuckles. "Sorry, baby. I can't get enough of you."

XxXxXx

Grace is anxious to see Christian tonight. When he told her that he was heading to Detroit for a couple days, it really worried her. She knows that he has unresolved issues with the city and he's come such a long way over his adulthood. She's worried that this trip, although brief, might set him back more than the good it'll do for his business. She wanted to tell Christian that the yard wasn't worth the damage it might cause, but she knows that it isn't her decision. He is now a grown man and it's his decision. He felt that he was stable enough to go, so she had to trust that he knew himself well enough to know where his weaknesses lie. She hasn't spoken to him since he's returned and she's definitely determined to speak to him about the trip tonight.

When Christian and Anastasia come through the door, both of them are in good spirits. Christian smiles at his mom when he sees her and hugs her tightly against him, kissing her forehead.

He always feels such affection when he sees his mother, but this weekend, the affection is just so much stronger. She really has saved him from a miserable life. He could have spent his life hopping from one foster home to the next or could have been adopted by abusive parents, but he was lucky enough to get the most patient, loving mother. He can't imagine what life he might have led if he was stuck with a different circumstance. He could be in jail right now. He could be a woman beater or drug addict. Instead, he's loved, he's stable, and he's making a difference in the world. All because Grace made a difference in his world.

"Ana, how are you feeling?" Grace hugs Anastasia to her and lets it linger. Anastasia enjoys the warmth of Grace's hug. She's always been a second mother to Anastasia and the hug is almost as comforting as her own mother's.

"I'm good. My nausea has been much better this week."

"That's a relief. Has my boy been taking good care of you?"

Christian rolls his eyes.

"Great care." Anastasia looks up at him, giving him a secret smile. _Great care in many ways._

Grace slips her hand into Christian's elbow and tugs lightly. "I wouldn't expect anything, but. Let's go have a seat at the table while we wait for Elliot to arrive. Mia is spending Sunday dinner at her boyfriend's house. I swear... those two are attached at the hip now." Grace shakes her head. "Anyway, Anastasia, I bought some decaf iced tea the other day."

Anastasia grins. "Oh, great!" She loves tea of all kinds, although English breakfast tea is her favorite, she can only have it sparingly now and tries to drink it before lunch. "Excuse me…" She hurries ahead of them to the dining room to pour herself some tea, making Christian and Grace laugh.

"I've never seen anyone so happy about a glass of iced tea." Grace smiles at the back of Anastasia while they make their way to the dining room.

 _That's just the way Anastasia is._ She's happy with anything given to her, no matter how small. She appreciates Grace's small gesture because she knows that Grace did it just for her. She took the energy to get something special for Anastasia and Anastasia will reciprocate the energy as a form of respect and appreciation.

XxXxXx

Kate is quickly becoming a permanent fixture in Elliot's life. She now comes to Sunday dinner on a weekly basis and Elliot spends most of the evening drooling over her like a little puppy. It's odd for his family to see. Usually, there is a revolving door of women in his life and they are the ones drooling over him. One has never caught and kept Elliot's attention like Kate has. He's completely smitten over the strawberry blonde beauty and it's a pleasant surprise for his family to see. Kate seems to have a good head on her shoulders and she has a strong enough personality to rival Elliot's. They balance each other very well.

When they all tuck into their meal, Elliot catches Kate's eye and nods toward the table. She ignores him, but he won't give up that easy. Kate has great news to share and he wants her to announce it to his family. He's so proud of her. Leaning over, he bumps his shoulder with hers.

"Tell them." He whispers.

Carrick hears. "Kate? Do you have some news for us?"

Kate smiles down at her plate. "It's just some news I found out while I was at school today." Kate is in her last year at the university, her major being Journalism. She's always dreamed of writing for a major magazine, or even being a news anchor some day.

"Go ahead, woman!" Elliot elbows her in the arm.

Kate laughs. "I have to complete a six-month internship before I graduate, so I submitted a few of my columns from the school's newspaper to a few of the regional papers and magazines and _The Seattle Times_ reached out to the journalism director and offered me an internship."

"Oh, that's great!" Grace is beaming at not only Kate, but Elliot, too. The pride on Elliot's face for his girlfriend is evident and it's lovely to see her son so crazy for this girl. She knows he loves her.

"That's such an honor, Kate! We need to celebrate!" Carrick stands and heads into the kitchen to grab a bottle of champagne out of the fridge and some flutes.

"When do you start?" Anastasia asks, taking a bite of food.

"In two weeks. I have to move a couple of classes around before I can start."

"You must be so excited, Kate! Interning there will open so many doors for you."

"I am excited...but I'm also nervous. It's kind of intimidating."

"Don't be nervous, babe. You got this." Elliot slips an arm around her and kisses her temple.

"Absolutely. If _The Seattle Times_ made the effort to reach out to your program director, they see something special, Kate. I'm sure you'll do well. I know that nothing anyone says will probably help with your nervousness now, but we have faith in you. You've got a strong head on your shoulders. I'm excited for you." Over the last couple months, Anastasia has noticed the drive Kate has. She puts her all in everything she does and has wonderful time-management skills. Anastasia has found herself even being envious over the skill. She has always had an issue with time-management and she can only see this becoming an even bigger problem now that she and Christian are a couple.

Kate is pleasantly surprised by Anastasia's words and she takes them to heart. "Thank you, Ana. There's just so much to learn! I hope I can soak it all in while I'm there. I really want to wow them by the time my internship is over. If I do, maybe they'll put me on the payroll."

Christian grins. "Maybe an interview with a private, brooding billionaire will help that." He is infamous for refusing interviews, no matter the source. He feels that his private life is just that. Private. He doesn't feel that there really is any reason for interviews. If someone is looking for information on the company or his business ventures, it's public record. Look it up. If it can't be found via internet or public record, then it shouldn't be asked.

Kate gasps. "No! Really? You'd do that?" She's practically dancing in her seat. There is no way that the newspaper can deny her employment if she seals an interview with the most powerful businessman in Seattle.

"Of course."

Anastasia reaches over and squeezes Christian's bicep. She loves this man so much. He's such a caring individual. He wants Kate to succeed and he's willing to help to make sure she does.

"Well, you're in a good mood, Christian. I take it the Detroit trip went well?" Grace smiles at Christian, but Christian's smile disappears. "Oh. Oh, no. What happened?" Grace's heart bottoms out when she sees Christian's sudden change.

Christian dabs at his mouth with his cloth napkin and relaxes back in his dining chair, sighing. He knows he needs to tell his parents what happened.

Anastasia chews her lip with her eyes on Christian, worried for him. She knows the last thing he wants is to fall apart in front of his family. It's important to him that he keep a strong exterior for his family, no matter how broken he is internally. He rubs his palms on the thighs and Anastasia slides her chair a little closer to him and reaches for his hand. His eyes meet hers and she gives him an encouraging nod. "It's okay, Christian."

"Kate, why don't we step out and take a walk around the backyard for a few minutes?" Elliot asks, wanting to give Christian the privacy he needs with their parents. He knows that Christian will fill him in later.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea." Kate agrees, standing and taking her boyfriend's hand.

Christian gives him an appreciative nod and Elliot squeezes his shoulder on their way out, his little way of showing his younger brother support.

"Christian… what happened?" Carrick is worried for his son. When Grace told him where Christian was heading on Thursday, he was concerned. He knew that it wasn't going to go well. Although Christian keeps a tough exterior, he's a sensitive person.

Anastasia squeezes Christian's hand and he runs his thumb over the back of her knuckles.

There is no way to put this lightly or ease into it. He just has to come out with it. "It turns out that the owner of the shipyard is the pimp that controlled Ella."

 _Crickets._

Both of his parents are staring, wide-mouthed, at him. Both seem to have lost the power of speech and even the use of their eyelids to blink.

"How… How did you find out?" Grace is the first to speak. Tears begin to fall. "Please tell me that you found out before…"

Christian shakes his head. "I didn't know until we were face-to-face."

Grace's hand comes up and grips the fabric of her shirt at her chest. Her heart aches for her boy. Her eyes search his face, but it's expressionless. He's completely composed...but it worries her. She knows he's affected by this. She hates that he can't express that to them.

Carrick releases the breath he's holding. "Jesus Christ. Son, are you alright? What did you do?"

Christian shrugs off his question of concern. "When we came face-to-face, I just got up and left the room, but when I was in the hall, he began to follow me. He didn't know who I was. Hearing his voice made me so angry… I ended up turning back around and I hit him...then when he fell to the ground, I kicked him. I lost control for a few minutes, but I don't think I did much damage. We went because the numbers weren't adding up. I'd bet my whole fortune that he's sinking it into drugs and women that he's controlling. Then he's taking the revenue from pimping them out and hiding it elsewhere. I don't know if it's hiding in another bank account somewhere or if he's sinking it back into drugs to keep his girls addicted and under his control. I got the police involved."

"Oh, Christian… you dealt with all of this alone? Why didn't you call me?" Grace is trying to keep her tears at bay, but they continue to fall. She's breaking for her son and he's sitting a few feet away talking as if it's any other subject. His face is passive, his voice is strong and confident...nothing cracks. His exterior is as hard as ever. _She isn't sure how she feels about that._

"I didn't deal with it on my own. When I told Ana where I was going, she offered to go with me. She was there. She was at the hotel when I got back." Christian's eyes find Anastasia's and he gives her a warm smile. "She was so supportive."

"Oh, Ana, you incredible girl. I thank God for you, darling."

Anastasia beams at the compliment.

"She is incredible." Christian agrees and leans over to kiss her. She giggles when he lets it linger, knowing that he just let the cat out of the bag.

Grace's gasp causes Christian to pull away and he grins a bashful boyish grin at his mother.

"About damn time, son." Carrick gives Christian a full-fledge grin and wiggles his eyebrows.

Grace smacks her husband's shoulder, but expresses her relief for her son and his best friend.

"When did this happen?" Carrick asks, curious.

"Detroit. After everything that happened with the pimp, I knew I couldn't waste anymore time. I had to tell her that I love her."

Grace coos.

"And what'd she say?" Grace grins.

"That I love him, too." Anastasia answers, feeling like a giddy teenage girl. She blushes, but can't keep the grin off of her face.

"We're trying to keep it under wraps for now. It's a new thing for us and we want to take it at our own speed. We'd appreciate it if you tried not to mention it to Elliot and Mia. At least not yet." Christian hopes that his parents understand.

Grace nods. "Of course, Christian. I understand that your siblings can be a little overbearing."

Christian snorts. That's the nice way of saying they're annoying as hell.

XxXxXx

"Are you staying tonight?" Anastasia searches through her drawers in her bedroom to find her pajamas, but Christian is already undressing, answering her question.

"You really think I'd be anywhere else?" His girl and his baby are here. He needs to be here with them. He wants to be.

She looks over her shoulder at him and smiles. The love he has for her touches her to her soul. He always finds the simplest of ways to express how important she is to him. He makes her feel like she's on top of the world with just one sentence, one touch, one look. She loves falling asleep in his arms and waking up to him wrapped around her like a vine. He clings to her like she's his lifeline and it makes her feel almost invincible.

Christian strips down to his boxer-briefs and turns down the bed while he waits for Anastasia to change. He settles into the bed and enjoys the sight in front of him.

Anastasia pulls her shirt over her head and he gets a beautiful view of the ivory skin on her back, her long extensions tickling the small of her back a few inches above her black pants. She reaches behind her to unsnap her lavender bra and she lets it fall away, the straps slipping down her arms.

"Turn around, baby. Let me see you." Christian urges.

She turns towards him topless, giving him a grin. "Better?" She asks as she reaches for the button of her pants.

"So much."

He watches her shimmy her bottoms down, leaving on her lace thong. _He's never seen anything so sexy._ She's bare except for her panties and her little bump swells just above the small swatch of fabric. Soon, she's covered and he frowns when an oversized t-shirt covers her to the top of her thighs.

"Don't pout." She sees the pout tugging at his lips and unfortunately she finds his pout so damn sexy. She climbs into bed and his pout turns into a soft smile. "Don't start that, Grey. News first." She knows if they start playing now, they'll be tangled in bed for hours and she'll be exhausted and sore for work tomorrow.

Christian huffs. He'll never understand her obsession with having to watch the news every damn night. The world is such a terrible place and there's nothing, but heartache and negativity on the evening news. It isn't good for her to watch it every night, especially being pregnant.

She cocks an eyebrow at him. "Remote."

"Fine." He concedes, but if she thinks that he isn't going caress her skin while they watch, then she's got another thing coming. He loves the softness of her skin, the smoothness of her unblemished, scarless body, and the way it only takes one touch of his hand to make her break out in goosebumps from head-to-toe.

While Anastasia lays, engrossed in the television, Christian lays, engrossed in her. Her back is pressed against his front as he spoons her and his fingertips wander down until they find the skin of her thigh. His hand runs up and down her thigh a few times before wandering even further up until he finds her sweet little bump. He takes his time on her abdomen, rubbing it in circles and up and down, already daydreaming about how it'll feel to rub her stomach when it swells even more. His hand continues its way around her waist, to her back, where he begins to rub up and down the length of her back. Anastasia lets out a contented sigh and her body relaxes as he continues to rub her back.

He leans in and presses a few kisses to the skin below her ear. "You like that?"

She sighs again. "Yes, don't stop. It's Heaven." She rolls a little more toward her front, offering more of her back to him. "Use your nails."

 _So demanding._ He shakes his head at her, but runs his fingernails up and down her back, lightly scratching.

"Oh, yea. That's it."

Christian laughs. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you might like this better than sex."

She giggles. "With the others, I'd say yes. With you, it's a close second. Sex with you is out of his world."

"Damn right. I could show you right now, if you'd like." He presses his hard-on into her soft backside.

"Later." She states, her attention returning to the television. Realizing his hand has stopped, she looks over her shoulder. "What happened to the scratching?"

Christian begins to run his nails up and down her back, murmuring to himself.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, Grey."

His hand comes in contact with her bare buttock, a sharp smack for her sassiness.

She squeaks in surprise, but her backside comes back a little to press against his palm. Christian is the only one who has ever smacked her backside like this, but she finds herself being turned on when he does so.

"My girl's got a kinky side." Christian spanks her backside again before his fingers find their way between her legs, slipping into her underwear. He's right. _She's wet._ "Someone's ready."

She giggles and rolls to her back, pushing his arm away as she turns. "I said later."

"Patience is not a virtue of mine, Ana."

"I know." She wouldn't mind turning the television off and letting him have his way with her, but now it's a game. She wants to make him wait. "News first, sex later."

"But, Ana…" He whines snuggling back up to her, his erection pressing into her backside while he tries nibbling on the sensitive skin of her neck. "I want you."

"In a minute." She tries to concentrate on the television, but his lips on her neck and his solid shaft pressing against her backside is making her resolve crumble. Blinking a few times, she forces her attention back to the television.

"Oh, my god, Christian. Look! It's that woman." The woman that they saw on the television at the doctor's office is back on the news, only this time, they've found her body.

' _Joanne Dunn's body was found stuffed into a deep freezer in her very own basement. The deep freezer was secured with a padlock, leading police to believe that the woman was still alive when placed in the freezer.'_

"Oh, my god, Christian. Who could do that?" Anastasia shakes her head, heartsick over the news.

Christian hugs Anastasia close to him and presses his lips to the back of her head.

' _Her family says that she is a very caring, loving woman who would never hurt a soul. She had no known enemies and they say they can't imagine anyone who would ever want to hurt her. Her family is urging anyone who might have any clues to who her killer is, to come forward. Her son is offering a reward of $50,000 dollars to anyone with information leading them to her killer. The family has put together a video of some of her favorite things, showing just how beautiful Joanne really was. As we leave you tonight, we urge you to hold on to your loved ones extra tight. As this case shows, you really don't know just how much longer you might have with them. This is Stacey Cruz with Seattle Eleven News. Goodnight.'_

As the video plays, it shows a few of the quilts the woman has made, a dozen pictures of her with her friends and family, and then it zeros in on a notebook of hers. In loopy, cursive handwriting it shows what appears to be a story.

Anastasia's blood goes cold. "Pause it."

"Why?"

"Pause it!" Anastasia jumps out of bed and Christian pauses the television. As he watches her pull out her laptop, he becomes even more confused.

"What's going on, Ana?"

"You'll see."

When she finds what she needs, she turns her laptop around so that Christian can see.

Looking over the page, Christian's eyebrows knit together. It looks like a page from a manuscript. "I don't understand."

"Read from the fifth line down and then look at the television."

Christian does what Anastasia tells him to do and the blood drains from his face. "Anastasia...who's manuscript is this?"

"Jack Hyde's."

"Fuck."

"Do you think he…?" Anastasia is frightened over the newfound information.

"I don't know, Ana...but this can't be a coincidence. He has to have something to do with it."

Anastasia's eyes begin to burn with tears, but she bites her lip, keeping them at bay.

Christian closes her laptop and places it on the nightstand beside him before grabbing her and pulling her into a lying position with him, holding her tight against him.

"What am I going to do? Shouldn't I call the police or something?" Anastasia's head is spinning.

"If she was still missing, I would say to call them now, but there's nothing we can do for her now. I think you should wait until you go into work tomorrow and sit down with Mr. Roach and make a plan together. That way, it's the business that calls the police, instead of you."

"He's still going to know it's me, Christian."

He swallows hard. The thought of Jack Hyde coming for Anastasia makes him sick. "I'm going to tighten security, Anastasia. I know you're worried you'll feel stifled if Sawyer and Prescott are glued to your side, but considering the new information, we don't have a choice."

She shakes her head and buries her face into his bare chest. "No, I don't mind. I hate to say it, but I feel that it's necessary. I'm scared, Christian. If Jack comes after me… what's going to happen to the baby?"

"No. You can't think like that. We'll keep you safe. We'll tighten your security and after you speak to Roach, I'll call him myself about tightening security on the whole building. Once Hyde gets wind that we know, who knows what he'll do to SIP. Who's to say he won't show up to SIP on Tuesday with a gun, shooting up the place."

"Christian!"

He winces. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to worry you more, but my point is that security needs to step it up."

Anastasia tries to keep her heart-rate and breathing under control, but she can't control the shaking her body is beginning to do.

"Oh, Ana…" Christian holds his girl as tight as he can without hurting her, hoping to stop her trembling. "Everything will be alright. I've got you. I won't let anything happen to you."

She nuzzles into his chest hair, breathing deeply. The warmth of his body and the smell of his skin is comforting. She just wants to get lost with him...under him.

"Christian?"

"Yes, love?"

"I need you."

He sighs in relief. "Me, too, baby." He rolls them until she's underneath him and tugs at her thong, slipping it down her thighs. She brings her legs up and together so he can pull them off, but when he gets them to her knees he stops and ducks down, his lips coming in contact with the ones between her legs.

A wave of pleasure shoots down both of her legs and she moans out.

His tongue swipes up her slit and he hums. "Fuck, you taste good." Sitting up, he rids her of the panties and throws them behind him before spreading her legs and diving back into her center. He wants to surround himself in Ana, bury himself inside her, and forget how fucked up the world really is at the moment.

 **Teaser? Let me know.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I hope you all enjoy this one. Over the past couple of weeks, a lot of health issues arose that kept me from being able to write. A part of me feels like this chapter is a little unfinished/rushed, but with everyone asking me to get it out, I just went ahead and submitted like it is. Hoping I'm not making a mistake and that it comes off like it should.**

 **Enjoy!**

Going into work has Anastasia a nervous wreck. She knows she has to speak to Jerry Roach about her epiphany from last night. They'll need to get the police involved and things are going to get messy.

"Um, Mr. Roach?" She stands at his open doorway and knocks.

"Mr. Roach? Since when have we become so formal?" He gives her a smile that causes his eyes to crinkle at the edges. His smile reminds her of her father's and it's a small comfort during this nerve-wracking time.

Anastasia gives him nervous laugh, trying to keep her wits about her. "Sorry, Jerry. I just have a lot on my mind. Do you have a few minutes to chat?"

"Of course, Ana. Come in. Shut the door." He can tell it's something important.

She takes her time explaining what she found the night before and has printed out the manuscript and a screenshot from the woman's news article to show him. She goes over what she remembers from the interview and how forceful Hyde was about making sure he got the money he felt he deserved.

"I'm not sure what to do here, Jerry."

Mr. Roach sits back in his seat with a long sigh. "Wow, Ana. I think there's only one thing we can do at this point."

"Call the police?" It's more of a statement, but her voice raises an octave, knowing that once they contact the police, Hyde will know she is the one that put the pieces together and her life will be at risk. Not only hers, but her baby's, as well.

"Bingo. This isn't something we can call a coincidence. The police deserve to know. The woman's family deserve to know."

She takes a deep breath in through her nose and expels it through her mouth. "Yes, you're right." She knows they're doing the right thing, but the thought of having to tell the police what she found is making her stomach roll into painful knots. Never in her life would she ever think she'd have found something like this from one of her clients. Of course, no one has proven that Hyde had actually committed the murder, but the thought of someone she sat on the same couch with, interviewed, and got into an argument with behind closed doors being insidious enough to commit murder is a terrifying realization. It shows that no one really knows what's going on in other people's heads.

When Hyde challenged Anastasia in her office, she didn't think twice about challenging him back. If he really did kill this woman, then killing her wouldn't be hard for him. _What if he would have went after her?_ She shudders at the thought of what could have happened to her if Jack Hyde ended up angry enough to take it out on her. _She might not be here right now._ She might be stuffed inside a deep freezer somewhere...or maybe at the bottom of Puget Sound while everyone was out looking for her.

"Why don't you head back to your office and I'll give you an update when there is one to give. The police will probably want to come here to interview you and anyone else who've come in contact with him." Jerry's voice snaps Anastasia back to the present.

She nods, a small twinge of relief stirring in her gut knowing that she'll be able to pull herself together in her own office before the police storm in. She needs some time alone before the news breaks. When she reaches her office, however, she finds that there is already someone sitting in her chair.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just thought you could use some support today."

A part of her is relieved to see Christian making himself at home in her office, but another part of her is frustrated that he hasn't let her deal with this on her own. She stands there, halfway between wanting to throw herself into his lap and hug him tight and wanting to throw him out of her office for showing up uninvited during something so serious.

"Christian, I'm not sure you should be here during something like this. The police will want to interview everyone involved."

"And I'm not involved?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "Why would you be?"

"Did I not witness him towering over you in a threatening manner that day? Did he not almost knock me off my feet when his shoulder plowed into me on his way out?"

She had forgotten. "Oh."

"Yes, oh. The police are going to want to speak with every witness that has seen him at SIP and I am one of them. It'll save the police some footwork if I just plant myself right here and wait for them."

Anastasia plops down in one of the seats across from him. "This is going to be one long day. I really hope they find a reason to arrest him and keep him locked up after we tell them what they need to know." The knots in her stomach tighten at the thought of him running around free, knowing who ran to the police.

"I don't see why they wouldn't have just cause." He looks Anastasia over and can see that her coloring is off. She's really worked up over this, but it's understandable. She might have come face-to-face with a killer without even realizing. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Uck. No." She leans back in her seat and wraps her arms around her stomach. "My stomach is in knots today."

"Ana, you really should eat something."

"I will. I don't want to have to throw up in the middle of the police interview. I'll wait until afterward." _Just leave it, Grey._

"Ana…"

There's a knock on the door and Mr. Roach pops his head in. "The police are on their way. Will you print out a couple more copies of that manuscript, Ana?"

"Sure thing, Jerry." Anastasia is relieved that Jerry interrupted them. Missing breakfast one day isn't going to hurt her or their child. She'd end up throwing it up anyway.

XxXxXx

"Ms. Steele, did Jack Hyde threaten you at all while you two spoke?"

Anastasia has been in this interview for almost forty-five minutes and she's starting to feel exasperated. The police officer keeps asking the same questions, like her answers might change suddenly.

"Like I said, no, not really. When I told him we couldn't sign him, he had a hard time taking the news and told me that this wasn't over when he left, but he never threatened to hurt me."

"Was he combative at all?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did he argue with you?"

"Well, of course he did. We refused to sign him. He was upset that it took me so long to agree to meet with him and then when I told him that we wouldn't be signing to his contract, he called me a bitch."

"Do clients usually call you such foul names?"

"I've been called worse, yes. People tend to take our denial of contract very personal, but I can understand and that's why I don't blink an eye when names are thrown. Their novels are a part of their soul. They feel that by denying their novel, we're somehow denying their worthiness as a human being. It's sad, really, but we can't say yes to everyone with a dream. It is a business."

"Mr. Grey said that Hyde shoved him with his shoulder. Did you witness this?"

Anastasia nods. "Yes. When I told him that our time was up, that's when he said that this wasn't over and on his way out, he knocked his shoulder into Christian, almost knocking him backwards."

"And you think he did this on purpose?"

"I have no doubt. It wasn't tight quarters, Officer. Christian was standing out of the way, next to Hannah's desk, and Jack purposely went over to her desk and shoved him with his shoulder before turning and heading toward the doors."

"And you two didn't think to call the police then?"

Anastasia has to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "Why would we? We didn't feel threatened and it isn't worth the paperwork and hassle. He shoved Christian, but then he left. We haven't had any issues with him since." She can't help, but feel that this police officer is being ridiculous.

"Alright, fair enough." Officer Smith writes a few things down in his notebook. "You haven't heard from Jack Hyde since that day?"

"No, sir."

It's another ten minutes of questioning before Officer Smith feels confident with her statement. The police end up staying most of the morning interviewing all employees and looking over the security tapes of the day he came to SIP. Everyone cooperates completely and the police have assured Anastasia and Jerry that Hyde won't be aware that he's a suspect until he is picked up and that once he is picked up, he won't be leaving until after they investigate everything. It gives Anastasia enough relief to be able to have lunch with Christian without a fight. It is now the police's problem and the responsibility is off of her. Her relief is so evident that Christian feels confident enough to go back to Grey House when she tells him to, although he makes her promise that Sawyer will remain outside her office door for the remainder of the day.

"Hey, Ana!"

Anastasia looks up from her desk to see Jose, SIP's new creative director, standing at her door. Jose is in charge of all the artwork that goes into the books and on the jackets. Whether it's drawn by hand, put together by computer, or taken by photograph, Jose does it all. He's only been with SIP for a couple months now, but he seems like a genuinely friendly guy. There isn't an employee at SIP that doesn't enjoy his company.

"Hey, Jose." Anastasia smiles up at him. There are many people in the company that find her intimidating since she's moved up so quickly and the employees tend to only communicate with her when it comes to work related topics. It's refreshing to have an employee who doesn't seem threatened by her. "What's up?"

"I just finished the illustrations for the the new children's book and we're all getting together at Laurie's after work to celebrate."

Anastasia laughs. "Jose, isn't that your job?"

He shrugs, "Yea, well...it was a long book. I'll use any excuse I can to enjoy a cold one and some bar food with friends."

She's pleasantly surprised by his use of the word _friends. Were they friends?_ It definitely has a nice ring to it.

"So, are you coming?" Jose squats down across from her and leans over her desk, giving her his most charismatic smile. "You know you want to…"

She laughs. "Jose, I'm not sure if it's a good idea. With the whole Hyde thing and-"

"You've got the guy in the suit, don't you? If it makes you feel better, I'll come by and pick you up. We'll walk to Laurie's together." Laurie's is across the street, so it isn't like much could happen in twenty feet.

"Are you offering to escort an old lady across the street?"

He chuckles. "I'm not sure if old plays into it, but, yes, I'm definitely offering to escort a lady across the street. The suit and I will keep you safe from homicidal maniacs. You have my promise."

She chews on her lip, weighing her options. _It isn't going to hurt anything_. She rarely does anything outside of work or the Grey's, so she agrees. "Yea, okay."

Jose gives her a relieved smile and straightens up, smoothing his button down. "Great! You won't regret it. We're going to have a blast! I'll come by and pick you up at five."

Anastasia smiles, actually excited. "Yea, sounds good. Thanks, Jose."

The day had started off so dreadfully, but now, it was getting better by the minute. Maybe going to Laurie's with her peers at work would not only help her gain friends, but also strengthen the bond between her and the others. Sort of like a team building exercise, except in this one, everyone gets to drink. Well, everyone besides her. Not everyone knows that she's pregnant yet, but she guesses that tonight is as good of night as any to announce it. She doesn't want anyone to think that she's arrogant because she isn't drinking along with everyone else. Truth is the best policy.

XxXxXx

Anastasia's phone rings while she's typing up a proposal, stopping her flow and making her forget where she was heading with the paragraph.

"Ugh. What?"

"Ana? What's crawled up your ass?"

She rolls her eyes. "Can it, Grey. I was in my zone. You interrupted my flow."

"I'm sure you'll get it back."

"So?" _Why are you calling, Grey?_

"So...?"

She sighs, annoyed. "Why did you call?"

"I was just checking up on you. Making sure you were alive and kicking."

"Well, I'm alive...the kicking part... I'll let you see that for yourself."

He hisses. "Ouch."

She giggles. "I promise I won't kick you anywhere I might need to use later."

"Oh, so my dick is as good as gold."

"Christian!" Her cheeks heat up, even though no one is listening.

"We both know you won't chance hurting that. You like bouncing on it too much."

"Ugh, I hate you." She hides her face in her hand, trying to contain her flush.

"You love me."

"I don't know why."

"I know why. It's because of my big-"

"Stop it! Stop it right now!"

He laughs. "What? I was just going to say my big brain and sparkling personality."

"Sure, beau. Sure."

There's a knock on her door frame and she looks up to see Jose in the doorway. "I brought the first draft illustrations for the sci-fi book you asked for."

"Oh, great! Thanks, Jose!"

He places them on her desk. "Five o'clock!"

She laughs. "Yes, five o'clock, I remember."

He gives her a wave and leaves her office.

"Ana?"

"I'm here, Christian. Jose just had to drop off some images for me to look over."

"What's happening at five o'clock?"

"Oh… he invited me to join him and some other people from work for dinner and drinks at Laurie's."

"No. Absolutely not. You're pregnant."

"I don't have to drink liquor...you know they do carry other refreshments there."

"Sarcasm is going to get you nowhere, Anastasia. You're not going."

"This isn't your decision, Christian. You don't own me."

"But you're mine. There is too much shit going on for you to be out and about with some other asshole who wants to get into your pants."

She laughs out loud. She can't help it. "Jose? I highly doubt he wants to do any such thing. It's just across the street. I'll bring Sawyer."

"No, Ana."

"This isn't up for discussion and as far as I'm concerned, your opinion doesn't matter. I'm not in the mood to listen to your Tarzan bullshit. I'm going. End of story. Now, I'm getting off the phone. I will talk to you later." She hangs up before he can get another word in and places her cell in her drawer so she isn't disturbed again.

XxXxXx

Christian sits at his desk, staring down at his cell phone. _She hung up on him!_ If she thinks that he is going to give up without a fight, she's got another thing coming! _She's his._ She's carrying his child for fuck's sake. It's his responsibility to keep them safe and to keep her out of the clutches of other fuckers who want in her panties.

 _Keep your cool, Grey. She's a reasonable woman. Just talk calmly._

He takes a deep breath and tries to call her cell, but it rings and goes to voicemail.

"If that's the way you want it, fine."

XxXxXx

Anastasia is looking over the illustrations that Jose dropped by when she hears the lock to her office door engage.

Her head shoots up and Christian is standing by the shut door, looking murderous.

"Christian-" She stands to ask him what he's doing, but he cuts her off.

"I don't want to hear it. You aren't going, do you understand me?" He stomps his way over to her and pulls her against him, pressing a rough kiss to her lips.

"Christian, you can't control me. It isn't healthy."

"I don't want to control you. I want to keep you safe." He pulls at the hair on the back of her head, causing her chin to lift and he attacks her lips again.

At first she fights him, startled by his roughness, but she finds herself melting in his arms the longer their lips are fused together. _Damn hormones._ She reaches up and yanks at his hair like he did hers, causing him to growl a little bit and pull away from her lips. Leaving his forehead pressed against hers, he takes a few seconds to catch his breath.

"Do you want me, Anastasia?"

She bites her lip and nods. "Yes." She's still breathless. _Why does she want him when she's supposed to be mad at him?_ This is beyond frustrating. She doesn't understand what her body is doing anymore. It's in overdrive.

"Are you wet?" He's got her right where he wants her. He is so thankful for her pregnant sex drive.

"Why don't you check?"

He grabs her around the waist and swiftly turns her, bending her over her desk. He yanks her skirt up her legs until it sits at her hips and pulls her panties down just enough to slip his hand into them. _She is wet._

Anastasia reaches back to push her panties down further, but he gives a sharp smack to her backside, causing her to stop.

"I didn't tell you to touch those. Hands on the desk."

The way he demands this of her makes her center liquify even more and she finds herself doing exactly what he says. Her warm palms find the cool wood of her desk and she presses her cheek against it, waiting for Christian's next move. When she hears the clink of a belt being undone, she almost moans out.

Christian slips his dick out of his pants and grips her panties so he can push himself along her center, between her slit and her satin panties. She tries to wiggle to get him to enter her, but he spanks her again.

"No, Anastasia."

He begins to flex his hips back and forth, up and down her slit, letting his dick rub back and forth against her warm, wet center and the cool satin of her panties.

"Christian, please, I need you."

"Hush." He continues to thrust his hips, rubbing himself back and forth against her, but denying himself entry every time his head slides past her opening. He has no plans to slide into her, only to _persuade_ her not to go later...and to mark what is his.

Christian picks up the pace and Anastasia begins to pant. His dick is rubbing deliciously against her clit and it's making the small bundle of nerves throb.

"Don't come." He growls into her ear as he feels himself beginning to draw up. "This is for me." A few more strokes between her legs and he pushes himself over the edge, coming into her panties. As he comes, he slowly moves his dick back, making sure to mark every inch of the center of her panties.

This makes Anastasia angry. She spins around and Christian barely gets his penis moved before it gets ripped from his body.

She pushes him. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Christian tucks himself back in his pants and grins at her. "Marking what's mine." He reaches down and runs his finger up the outside center of her underwear, pressing his warm seed against her slit.

"You are disgusting!" She tries to push him again, but he grabs her arms and pulls her back to him.

"Am I?" He nuzzles his nose with hers, but she yanks her head away. "You're panting, Anastasia. You're aroused."

"No, I'm angry."

He runs his hands up and down her back. "I'm sorry you're so angry, baby. Let me make it up to you. Do you want me to finish you off?"

She bites her lip and nods up at him, giving him a chance to make things right. _It's only fair._

He slowly releases her and stands up straight. "Then you'll come home at five o'clock. If you come straight home, I'll spend the rest of the night making it up to you. If you don't...well, then you'll just have to deal with it."

"Christian!" She wants to strangle him for saying such a thing, but at the same time, she finds herself wanting to throw him down on the floor so she can have her way with him.

"That's the deal, love. Come home at five and I'll make it worth your while. If not, then you're shit out of luck." An arm wraps around her and he gives her a small smile.

"Christian...get out of here." Her anger is boiling over and all she wants to do is give him a nice knee jab to his groin. Instead, she collects herself, and pulls away from him, pulling her skirt down her thighs. She's had enough of him today. She doesn't want to look at him another second. _Get the fuck out._

"Later." He gives her a wink and disappears.

"God, I hate him." Anastasia murmurs, plopping back down in her chair. She's never been so turned on and angry before. The two don't mix well and she finds herself sobbing into her arms on her desk, not knowing how else to relieve her frustration.

 _There is no way she's going to listen to him._ She's going to that party, God damn it!

XxXxXx

Anastasia finds herself standing at her stove, pan-searing two chicken breasts while she curses herself. She can't believe it. _What the fuck is wrong with her?_ She's angry at herself for giving in to Christian. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth when she told Jose she couldn't come. She promised to take a rain check and she is determined to keep the plans the next time around. She hates that Christian got his way, but she knows that she wouldn't have been able to have fun with how aroused she's been all day.

His controlling nature is something that she's always fought against, but there is something so _sexy_ about the way he uses it. The way he came in, marked his territory, and left her wanting and needing more was a major turn on. _She can't help it._ She wants more. Anger still burns in her chest at the thought of how smug the asshole is going to be when he finds her here, cooking them dinner. _He's going to think he won._ Christian better keep his end of the deal. She wants orgasm after orgasm tonight. After what he did to her, she deserves it.

Anastasia just gets finished with the chicken and begins to chop up the zucchini to throw in the pan when she hears his keys start to rattle in the doorway. When the door opens, she refuses to turn around and continues to work on the vegetables in front of her.

Christian makes his way over to her and wraps his arms around her from behind, pressing feather-light kisses down her neck. He's definitely going to reward her for coming straight home. His hand wanders down the front of her, down the front of her yoga pants that she's changed into and his fingers graze over her clit, making her hips jerk suddenly.

He grins and nuzzles her ear with his nose. "Right there, baby?" He begins to rub circles around her clit, working her up.

"Yes…" Her voice is breathy and she leans back against Christian.

"You're getting wetter...I must be hitting the right spot." He begins to kiss along her neck again and continues to work her clit until he pushes her over the edge, making her cling to the edge of the countertop as she comes.

"Wow."

He chuckles. "We're just getting started, baby. Bend over." Yanking her yoga pants and panties down in one solid motion, he bends her over the counter. "How do you want it, Ana?" He widens his stance to lower himself to her level and frees himself from his pants before slipping his head into her tight opening.

"Hard."

"Hard?"

She nods. "And fast."

He grips her hips. "Hold on tight."

XxXxXx

Christian and Anastasia lay in her bed after another round of lovemaking.

"I think my dick might fall off." They've had sex four times tonight and Christian is exhausted.

Anastasia giggles. "You're getting old."

"You're only three months behind me, lady."

"But those three months mean so much!"

He rolls his eyes and pulls her closer to him, kissing her forehead. "How does it feel dating an old man then?"

"Dating? You've never taken me on a date."

"But, we've gone out."

"To lunch...like we've always done. You have yet to officially ask me out on a date."

He laughs. "Baby, it's only been a few days."

"Well, then you better get on it!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Ms. Steele… will you be so kind to accompany me on a date this Friday evening?"

"Sorry, I'm busy."

His mouth drops. "Busy? With what?"

"I have a date with a beyond brilliant, devastatingly gorgeous CEO that night."

His lips slowly curl up into a grin. "You do?"

She nods. "Mmhmm. And it's our first date, too. I really need to make a fabulous first impression. What do you think I should wear?"

"Hmm...how about nothing?"

"I'm saving that one for later."

He laughs. "Okay, how about that sexy little black dress you own with nothing underneath."

"No panties? What will he think of me?"

Christian runs his fingers up and down the length of her arm. "That you're a goddess who deserves to be worshiped and savored for hours. Leave the panties in the drawer, Ana. Let the guy have a sneak peek of dessert."

Anastasia giggles. "Alright, if you think so."

He hums. "I do. Damn. That is one lucky bastard."

She shakes her head. "I'm the lucky one."

He settles into bed and turns off the light. "I'm glad you made the right choice tonight, Ana."

Anastasia lets out a laugh. "You know I'm just going to go on another day, right?"

"What?"

"You can't control everywhere I go, Christian. There's nothing wrong with going to dinner with a few people from work. I told Jose that I'd go next time."

Christian is not happy about this. He thought he won the war, but he's just now realizing he just won the battle. There will be more to come. "I don't like that, Ana."

"I don't care."

"You can't take my feelings into consideration?"

"Why should I when you refuse to do the same? You just want to keep me to yourself. You don't want me to have other friends. You want me to be dependent on you. It's unhealthy. I will be going out with my coworkers sometime and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. No amount of sexpertise will keep me from going next time."

"You're being childish."

Anastasia rolls away from him and curls up on her side of the bed. "Nothing you can say will make me change my mind. Just go to sleep, Christian."

"I'm not done talking about this!"

"Well, I am. Good. Night." She pulls the duvet up to her neck and shimmies farther away from him. She's so frustrated, she doesn't even want to feel his body heat radiating from his side of the bed. _He's lucky she doesn't tell him to leave._

 **Want a teaser? Let me know.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I know it's been a long time, but I'm back! I probably won't be able to update as frequently as I used to still, but I'll try to update one of my stories at least once every two weeks. A lot of things have been going on and most of my attention will be averted elsewhere. I promise that even if I don't update quickly, that I won't abandon this story. I have an outline for the rest of the story and I'm determined to get it finished.**

"Christian! Where are we going?" Anastasia laughs from the passenger's seat of Christian's R8.

Tonight is their first official date and Christian has spent the week planning it. He told Anastasia to dress comfortably and blindfolded her when she got in the car.

"I told you that you'll find out when we get there." Anastasia has never been much of a patient person, but Christian is enjoying making her wait awhile. It'll make the surprise even better.

She keeps playing with the bottom hem of her navy dress, worried she didn't dress properly for their date. He had said to dress comfortably, but she still wanted to look feminine for their first date. Surely, he would have told her to change if there was a chance of her showing her panties to everyone.

"How much longer?" The longer she sits with her eyes covered, the more anxious she becomes.

He laughs. "So impatient." Reaching over, he takes her hand before she wrinkles the bottom of her dress. "Five more minutes, baby. It won't be long."

"I love your hands." She takes his hand between the two of hers and runs her palms over the length of his hand. "They're my favorite hands in the world."

"I _am_ pretty good with my hands…"

Anastasia giggles at his comment. "Christian! This is our first date!"

"So?"

"Your vulgar comment is not appreciated! You're supposed to be a gentleman."

"My fingers can be very gentlemanly." He wiggles his fingers against her palm and she can feel her cheeks warm a little.

"Ouch!" Christian yanks his hand away from hers when she suddenly squeezes a little to tight.

She sits in her seat with a large smile on her face, feeling pretty pleased with herself.

"You're lucky that we're here or I might have turned this car around and taken you home to throw you over my knee."

Anastasia bites her lip. "Maybe later."

Christian's dick stirs in his jeans, but he forces his mind away from the thought and cuts the engine, relaxing back in his seat.

"Can I look now?"

He reaches over and pulls at the bow of her blindfold, letting it fall from her eyes. It takes her a few seconds for her eyes to focus, but when they do, she's shocked.

"Christian!" She's touched. "You remembered."

He smiles. "Of course I remembered."

They're sitting in the parking lot of a mini-golf course. The _same_ mini-golf course where they hung out for the first time. It was really the first time Christian got to witness Anastasia's lack of coordination for himself.

"Maybe this time I'll manage not to hit anyone in the back of the head." Anastasia giggles at the memory. She had gotten so frustrated with the ball that she hit it way too hard and it ended up going airborne, hitting a man in the back of head who was two holes ahead of them.

"That'll be our goal for the night, love." He teases lightly, tugging at a tendril of her hair. It's back to its normal short self, but he's glad that it's all hers. She's absolutely beautiful no matter what length her hair is, but a part of him hopes she'll grow it out.

In true Anastasia form, she rolls her eyes and huffs. "Let's go." She grabs for the handle on the door, too impatient to allow Christian time to open it, causing him to jump out of the car to catch up.

When they make their way to the entrance to sign up, Anastasia notices that there is no one on the mini-golf course. There are tons of cars, so the arcade inside must be packed. It's odd to see it so empty.

"Where is everyone?"

Christian smiles and hands her a club for her to try out. "I didn't want to take the chance of you knocking someone else out."

"You rented out the course?"

"You're surprised?" Christian hands her a purple ball and grabs a blue one for himself.

"Actually...yes." She doesn't know why, but she is.

"Safety first, Ana. Too many things are going on right now for us not to take every precaution." He puts an arm around her shoulders and steers her toward the first hole. It is then that her eyes catch the CPO's at every entrance to the course.

"Oh. Wow." She's suddenly nervous. This is all so eerie. She's never seen the course so quiet. It's like a ghost town.

"Baby, don't think too much on it. Let's have fun. Try not to give Taylor a concussion, alright?" He smacks her backside. "Ladies first."

She scowls at him over her shoulder as she makes her way to the tee off mark. The first hole is pretty straight forward, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for her. She's never been one for any type of sport...although she's decent at bowling...and she's pretty uncoordinated, so she's hoping that she doesn't do too bad tonight.

She takes a deep breath and hits the ball with a little force, worried that if she hits it too lightly, the ball won't make it anywhere near the hole. Unfortunately, she hits it too hard and it bounces off the back of the hole and comes back down the green to rest two feet away from her feet.

"Well, shit." She sighs.

Christian grins. "We'll call that a warm up round. Let's try again." He bends and grabs her golf ball and places it back on the tee mark. "Here, I'll help you." Wrapping his arms around her and placing his hands on top of hers, he bends to make himself her height.

Anastasia laughs. "You're just trying to cop a feel."

"Not true. It's simply just a bonus. I want to help your swing." Christian explains how to line up the club to swing towards the hole and he brings the club back and hits the ball with enough force to send it down towards the hole and stop about two feet from its goal. "There. Now you hit it again... _nicely_ … and get it in the hole."

She marches down the green with purpose. "Don't worry. I got this." She feels confident that she can make it the two feet to the hole without screwing up too badly.

Anastasia hits the ball and it goes straight toward the hole, rolls against the edge and ends up on the opposite side of the hole. "No way! This is rigged!" She follows the ball and this time when she hits it, it goes in.

Christian shakes his head, amused. "You can use that excuse all you want tonight, but we both know it's operator error." He writes down a '3' for the first hole next to her name and slides the paper and pencil into his back pocket so he can tee off.

"Let's see your shot, smart ass." Anastasia stands on the sidewalk with her hands on her hips, waiting for him to make his shot.

Christian hits the ball, it goes down the green, straight toward the hole and goes in easily. He stands there, leaning against his club with an easy grin on his face.

"Oh, I hate you." It annoys her that he's good at everything, while she seems to lack skill in anything physical.

"You should be glad that these things come so easily for me, love. I have to compensate for the things you lack. Our poor baby wouldn't have a chance, otherwise." He bends to grab their golf balls out of the first hole and she smacks him lightly on the backside with the end of her club, making him jump.

"That's what you get for being so ornery."

When he stands, his eyes narrow at her and he lunges, letting his club fall to the ground so he can grab her. She squeals, causing Taylor and Sawyer to look back quickly at the two of them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She giggles as he rubs his scratchy facial hair against her neck and face while he has her scooped up in his arms.

He stops immediately and sets her down nicely. "Uh huh. That's what I thought."

They continue to play and Anastasia is actually pleasantly surprised at how she's playing. She's not playing well by any means, but she's doing better than she thought she'd be. By the time they hit the seventh hole, her average stroke count is a four. Last time they played Christian refused to even keep score because it took her too many strokes and she had to cheat to get the damn ball anywhere close to the hole. _Maybe this pregnancy thing has even more perks than she thought._ Or maybe she's been blessed with some good luck tonight.

The eighth whole has a ninety degree turn, goes uphill first and then has the hole almost in the corner at the end. To get the ball to land anywhere close to the hole, she'll have to hit it hard enough for it to go uphill, then hit the corner instead of straight ahead or it'll bounce off and come back down toward her. _You can do it, Ana._

She takes a couple deep, cleansing breaths and takes her time getting herself into position. When she hits it, she holds her breath, and watches as it rolls up the small incline, hits the corner of the green and bounces off, making its way toward the hole. It bounces off the side again and her ball makes its way to the corner hole, slipping in effortlessly.

A puff of air rushes out of her mouth. "Did...Did I just...Is that a…?" She turns toward Christian, who has a giant smile on his face.

"Baby, you just got a hole in one."

Anastasia squeals and dances a little before throwing her arms around his neck to hug him. He holds her tightly to him, enjoying her small victory with her. He's so excited for her.

"I can't believe it! Why didn't you tape it?"

Laughing, he releases her. "How was I supposed to know it was going to happen? It's like a one-in-a-million shot that you would have gotten it."

She huffs. "Way to have faith in your best friend, there, beau."

"I do have faith. I have faith that you'll never be able to get a hole in one again."

"You willing to bet on that?" Anastasia gives him a sassy grin.

"What are we betting?"

"What do you want to bet?"

"Hmm…" Christian takes a minute to think about it. He has to choose wisely. "If I win, then you move in with me. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Anastasia didn't expect anything like that to fall out of his lips. Honestly, she figured it'd be something sexual like office sex or a blowjob.

"Yes. Tomorrow."

 _Now, she is nervous._ The stakes are suddenly high. She's pretty sure that she isn't ready to move in with him, yet. They've barely started their relationship and she enjoys her independence. Soon, she'll have a baby attached to her hip 24/7 and she wants to enjoy being by herself for awhile.

"So, what are you betting, Steele?"

Anastasia isn't sure what she should bet. "If I win, I get to decide what the baby's name is going to be. First and last."

Christian's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean first and _last_? It isn't going to be Grey?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I haven't decided, yet."

"But it's my baby!" _Why the hell would she bring this up now?_

"It's my baby, too, Christian. That's why I haven't decided, yet. It doesn't mean that the baby's name _won't_ be Grey. I don't know, yet."

 _This isn't the time, Grey._ Plus, what are the odds of Anastasia getting a hole in one again? The odds are not in her favor. Deciding to stow his anger for the moment, he agrees.

"Fine."

XxXxXx

They're at the last hole and Anastasia did not get her hole in one. In fact, her luck seemed to plummet after they made the bet. Christian is looking extremely smug on the eighteenth hole and she knows she's going to have to give up her apartment tomorrow. It feels like she's giving up every shred of independence she has.

The eighteenth hole has three pipes to aim for, all numbered. Number one means a hole in one, two means two strokes, and three means three strokes. You add that number to the number of strokes it takes to get your ball to travel down one of the pipes, where an underground mechanism takes the balls and deposits them back in a bucket at the front shack. As long as you hit the ball straight into a pipe, it wasn't a hard hole...but unfortunately for Anastasia, she isn't the best player.

"You go first." Anastasia states, waving him forward. She wants to eye the green a little longer and syke herself up.

Christian is beaming from ear-to-ear. He can taste the sweet victory on the tip of his tongue. "Sure, baby. I'll go first."

He hits the ball and it slides easily into the pipe labeled '1'. "I win."

"I'm not done, yet."

"Unless hole eighteen is able to give you a negative twenty points, I win the game."

"But not the bet."

He laughs. "Not yet. Just hit the ball so I can celebrate my victory."

She mean mugs him as she places her ball on the tee. "You mean my victory."

"Not in this lifetime, Steele."

"Well, then, you better keel over, Grey."

Anastasia wiggles her butt and takes her time lining her club up with the pipe labeled '1'. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she swings back and hits the ball, every muscle in her body clenching as she watches the purple ball go rolling across the green. It goes straight down the center, to the middle pipe labeled '1', and slips easily into the pipe and out of sight.

She immediately begins to scream and dances around excitedly. "I did it! I did it! I won! I won the bet!" Turning towards him, she does a small happy dance.

Christian stands there stunned. He cannot believe that Anastasia hit it on the first try. He was so close to winning. Apparently, he was overly confident.

"Not so cocky now, are you Grey?" She asks, a cocky-ass grin on her face. "I am the master! Bow down to me! Even better...get on your knees first."

"Lucky shot."

"You're right. I got very lucky!"

"It was the eighteenth hole. It doesn't count."

"No, no, no! You can't take it back now!"

Seeing that Christian really is pouting, Anastasia wraps her arms around his waist and raises on her tiptoes to kiss his pout away. "Don't be a sore loser, beau. I promise not to name the baby anything too crazy like Dirk or Gidget."

He can't help, but snort a laugh at the names. "I don't get to veto anything?"

Anastasia taps her chin, thinking. "Alright, fine. I'll allow you three vetoes. Once you use your three vetoes, you have to keep quiet though."

"As long as you don't come up with terrible names on purpose to make me use the vetoes."

She shakes her head. "No, I promise, I won't. Only ones I honestly like. Deal?" Holding out her hand, she waits for him to take it. After a beat, he finally does.

"Deal." He shakes her hand roughly, pulling her closer to him so they can kiss on it. He isn't going to mention it now, but he's going to use his vetoes on the last name. He wants his baby to have his last name. He'll do whatever it takes; it's really important to him. Anastasia can choose whatever first name she wants, as long as the baby is a Grey.

XxXxXx

"Let's take a walk."

"Okay." Anastasia smiles up at Christian and takes his hand, letting him guide her. The mini-golf course sits right beside one of the piers, looking over Puget Sound. Their security guards follow them from ten feet back, giving them some space as they take a walk down the boardwalk.

She shivers as the wind picks up, wishing she didn't wear such a light dress. It's no longer mid-summer and fall air is slowly showing itself.

The air is chilly, but luckily Christian remembered his Harvard hoodie. He stole it back from her a few days ago and she has yet to realize it's missing. When he feels her shiver, he reaches back with his free hand and gives a light snap, feeling the softness of his hoodie touch his fingers only seconds after. Taylor makes quick, silent work with getting the hoodie to Christian.

He pulls the hoodie from behind his back and holds it out to her. "Cold?"

"What? How? When did you get this?" She stops and yanks it out of his hand so she can put it on. Once she pulls her head through the opening of the hoodie she states, "It's mine!"

Christian chuckles and reaches up to calm her suddenly wild hair. "You said possession is nine-tenths of the law, so I took possession of it."

"Well, I'm taking it back."

"But you didn't even go to Harvard."

"I don't care. It's from you. I love it." Anastasia pulls the hood up over her head and slips her hands in the front pocket, getting cozy. "It makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in you."

Christian's heart swells at her sweet words. The hoodie had meant so much more to her than just something comfortable to keep her warm. Never again would he try to take it from her. The hoodie comforts her in a way he had never realized before.

Slipping an arm around her, they continue their walk down the boardwalk.

"Are you hungry?" He asks as they make their way closer to the boat docks.

"Yes." She answers honestly. She feels like she could eat a whole cow at the moment.

"Then follow me. We'll get you and our baby fed." He ushers her toward the docks and punches in a code before opening the gate for her.

"Where are we going? You're not going to make me catch my own food are you?" Christian houses his boat elsewhere, so she doesn't understand why they're here.

He laughs. "Oh, no. If we had to wait for you to catch our food, we'd probably starve to death."

"Hey!" She knocks his arm with her elbow, unwilling to pull her hands away from the nice warmth of the hoodie pocket.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll make sure you're fed. I'll never make you catch your own food." Seeing that she's pouting, Christian ducks down and presses his lips to her temple.

"Seriously, Christian...why are we here?"

He slows his walking and her eyes follow his to see what he's looking at. In front of them is a large sailboat, about the size of _The Grace_ , but instead of blue, this one was black and white. On the side, it reads _The Anastasia_.

Her heart skips a beat.

"Christian!"

He's grinning from ear-to-ear. "Do you like it?"

"I...oh, wow. Yes! Yes, of course! You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." He states, cutting her off. "This new sailboat has all the bells and whistles and the most advanced technology out there. It just rolled off the assembly line two weeks ago and I've been waiting to show you, trying to decide when to, and tonight seemed like the perfect time."

"Christian, it's beautiful." She reaches up and wraps her arms around his neck, allowing him to hold her off the ground while she gives him a deep kiss to thank him properly. "You never cease to amaze me. I'm so touched by this." Her tears that have been welling up have begun to overflow and run down her cheeks. "Can we climb aboard?"

Nodding, he picks her up properly and carries her over to the boat, lifting her up into it before climbing on himself to greet Mac, the manager of his sailboats.

XxXxXx

Anastasia sits on one of the built-in benches close to the wheel while Christian mans the wheel and Mac is busy at the bow of the boat. The air is chilly as they glide across the water, making Anastasia's nose cold and red. She pulls her knees up against her, trying to get more comfortable and warm. Christian has found her a blanket and she's completely content watching her handsome boyfriend control the sailboat like a professional. He really is good at everything he sets his mind to and it's obvious the pride he has in his accomplishments.

"How are we doing, Ms. Steele?" He asks, giving her a warm grin.

"Perfect!" She says over the wind.

He's relieved by her words. He had been worried that sailing might make her nauseated. Looking her over, she seems relaxed and untroubled, just enjoying the ride. She's always been willing to join in on his adventures, trusting his judgement no matter where the adventures take them or how many times he's made her step out of her comfort zone and confront her fears. He remembers the first time he really pushed her limits.

" _I can't believe we're going to do this!" Anastasia and Christian are both in wet suits, standing in a boat in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. They've just graduated from their universities and this trip is their graduation present from their parents. It was Christian's idea to go scuba diving._

" _Believe it, love! No turning back now." Christian gives her a large grin and slips on his goggles and places the regulator in his mouth before turning his back to the edge of the boat and falling back into the water like the instructor had shown them to do._

 _Anastasia watches him from the boat as his head reemerges from the water, but doesn't move an inch._

 _Pulling the regulator out of his mouth, he tries to encourage her to get in the water. "Come on, Steele."_

" _I don't want to. I'm scared." She doesn't like the thought of being stuck underwater if her air tank somehow breaks._

" _Get in the water."_

" _No. "_

" _Anastasia Steele! Get your ass in this water, now!"_

 _Her eyes narrow at him. "Don't yell at me, Grey! I have bungee jumped with you, I've gone free-falling with you, I even let you shoot me with a paintball gun...multiple times I might add! I have always followed you on your little adventures...but this...this is too much. The water and the tank and I just… I'm scared and the yelling is not helping."_

" _Okay, okay. Love, I'm sorry. Just get in the water. Everything will be fine. Don't you trust me?"_

 _Her shoulders visibly relax. "Of course, I do."_

" _I'll be right here with you. I promise I won't let you drown."_

" _Okay." It takes her a moment, but she finally agrees._

" _Now get your ass in the water."_

" _Fine_ _!" She huffs, putting on her gear before getting in the water._

 _An hour later they reemerge from the water with smiles on their faces._

" _That was the most incredible experience of my life!" Anastasia squeals as the instructor pulls her back into the boat. Christian barely gets himself back into the boat before she attacks him with a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you for making me do this! I can't believe I did it! What can we do next?"_

 _Christian laughs and holds her dancing body against his, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I knew you could do it, Ana. I'm so proud of you! We can do whatever you'd like, love. I'm up for anything."_

 _She smiles up at him. "Promise that you'll always take me with you."_

" _Pinky promise." He states, promising. There's no one else he'd rather have with him during these adventures._

 _She lifts up on the pads of her feet and her lips meet his, surprising him. The kiss is soft and quick, and when she pulls away, her cheeks redden. "I'm sorry. I don't know what-"_

" _That is exponentially better than a pinky promise." He states, giving her a charismatic smile. "I think I'll kiss on that promise once more." Leaning down, he presses his lips to hers again. "You're the best, Ana."_

 _She looks up at him through her eyelashes and gives him a bashful smile._

"Come here, Ana." The memory that their first kiss, although innocent, was on a boat makes him want to kiss her all over again. This time, it won't be so innocent.

She makes her way over to him with her blanket wrapped around her and he makes quick work of grabbing her and dipping her low as he gives her a deep, slow kiss.

When he returns her to the standing position, she's giggling. "What was that for?"

"I was just thinking about our first kiss."

She bites her lip. "The one on your couch?"

"No, baby. Our very first kiss. Remember? On the boat in Indonesia?"

She laughs. "Oh, yea." She opens up her blanket and wraps her arms around him while he keeps one hand on the wheel, wrapping them both up in warmth. "I don't know what got over me. Scuba diving that first time was such a rush. I can't believe that I actually did it."

He smiles fondly at her. "I was so proud of you."

Giggling, she nods. "Me, too."

XxXxXx

Mac had left on a smaller boat after they dropped the anchor in the middle of the Puget Sound, allowing them to have the night alone. They've decided to eat dinner at the table in the dining room below, in an effort to keep the chill off of themselves and their food.

Anastasia finishes her last bite of her lava cake for dessert and sits back with a sigh.

"Full?" Christian asks, knowing.

"Stuffed." Anastasia runs her hands over her full belly, now thirteen weeks along. Her bump is even more pronounced with a full stomach and she rubs the bump affectionately.

"You're beautiful." he states simply, watching her caress her stomach. He finds himself falling more and more in love with her each passing day. The bigger her stomach grows, the deeper his love grows for her. She's carrying his child in her womb; a precious, innocent little being that she protects and nourishes 24/7. He loves his little family.

She rolls her eyes. "I don't feel beautiful. I feel bloated."

A small smile appears on his lips. "Dance with me."

Her eyebrows raise in surprise. "You want me to dance with you?" She's not the best dancer and he knows it. She has a habit of stepping on his toes. He tries to hide his discomfort when she does so, but she knows better. Although she knows she's not the best dancer, she secretly loves it...and maybe she's getting better. She managed to only step on his toes once the night of Coping Together.

"Please." Christian knows how much Anastasia enjoys dancing, although she won't ever admit it. The way her cheeks and eyes light up when she dances tells him that much...plus he can't count the number of times he caught her dancing in her room while they were in high school. Music is a part of Anastasia and her body naturally moves to the music. He just wishes her feet would learn to cooperate with the rest of her body. _Her hips sure know how to move…_

He stands and takes her hand, escorting her back up the stairs and out to the stern. On his way up, he hits a button along the wall and the sound of music surrounds them through the speakers that are located throughout the boat.

He pulls her closer to him, but she puts a finger up. "Hold on." Reaching down, she pulls her shoes off, relieved to be barefoot. "Ah, better. Now, if I step on you, it won't be so bad." She gives him a grin.

"I appreciate that, love." He wraps his arms around her and pulls her against him, hugging her to him. He's worried that her legs are cold, but he's sure she'll let him know if they get too cold.

Anastasia looks up at the sky and smiles when she sees that half of the moon can be seen, the other half covered by light clouds. Stars litter the sky in the same way that freckles spread across Christian's shoulders in the summertime after he's been in the sun. Feeling completely content, she rests her head against his chest and closes her eyes, letting him move and sway them across the wooden floor.

"This is just perfect, Christian. Thank you." She says quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"Night isn't over, yet."

Her eyes widen. "What? You mean… there's more?"

"Just a little more."

"What else do you have up your sleeve, Grey?" Anastasia is anxious to see what else he could have planned.

Christian chuckles. "So impatient." He releases her and pulls her back towards the stairs to head back into the hull of the boat. He pulls her straight toward the bedroom and opens the door for her, letting her go first.

The comforting smell of vanilla and bergamot candles hits her nose and the warm glow from the dozens of lit candles inside the room catches her eye. She almost tears up at the sight. Christian has somehow reached into her mind and recreated the scene from her dream, almost perfectly. Candles are burning all over the room, giving it a soft, yellow glow around the pale gray walls. The bedding is pure white, covered in red rose petals.

She turns and her lips immediately find his, showing him her appreciation. As they pull apart, a grin forms on his lips. "I take it, you like it?"

Anastasia giggles and nods. "It's beautiful, but... you're pretty sure of yourself, Grey. This _is_ our first date, after all. What type of girl do you think I am?"

He gives her an amused, lopsided grin. "Love, you're carrying my baby. Don't you think you could break your five date rule just this once?"

She bites her lip, pretending to think about it. Her hands run up the front of his shirt, rubbing his chest. "I suppose so. I'd be a stupid woman to pass up a night with you." She gives him a salacious grin and begins to unbutton his shirt.

"We can't forget you, Ms. Steele." Reaching down he pulls the hoodie off of her and then slips her navy dress over her head, revealing her navy blue lace lingerie set. His dick stirs just looking at her. Her pale skin against the dark blue material is flawless. The way her small bump curves around the fabric, making it dip down in the front just drives his craving for her even more.

He reaches down and picks her up from the back of her thighs, laying her down in the center of the bed, covering her body with his. He kisses her a few times.

"Do you trust me?" He asks, hopeful.

Anastasia gives him a small smile. "Of course."

Christian's smile mirrors hers, hearing her words. He presses his lips to hers once more and reaches into his pocket, producing the blindfold he used on her earlier. "I want to try something."

Her mouth falls open slightly with a soft gasp, her arousal heightened by his willingness to try something new. She gives him a small nod. "Okay."

He pushes himself up on his knees, kneeling beside her and leans over to place the blindfold over her eyes, tying it behind her head.

"How's that? Can you see?" Christian waves a hand in front of her face, but she shakes her head. "Great. Now lay back and relax, baby. I'm going to take care of you tonight." He's read that the other senses are heightened when you take someone's sight away. He wants to test this hypothesis and see just how much pleasure he can give her...hear just how loud he can make her scream. They've got all night to enjoy each other and he's going to use it to his advantage. There is no one for miles around. No worry of being heard...being seen.

He drinks in the sight of her blindfolded and waiting and it makes him impossibly harder. She's giving him the control to do as he pleases to her. She's giving him free reign of her body. _It's sexy and oh-so satisfying._

XxXxXx

Anastasia wakes up the next morning, her body still relaxed and sated from the night before. Christian hadn't left an inch of her body untouched. His hands, his lips, his tongue explored every curve, every dip, every freckle on her body. It was the most intense experience of her life...it was beautiful.

Rolling toward Christian's side of the bed, she notices it's empty. There's a note on his pillow.

 _Good Morning, Beautiful.  
I left your clothes on the bathroom counter.  
Get cleaned up and come find me. _

Anastasia smiles at the short note and runs her index finger over the words before climbing out of bed to use the restroom. Inside, she finds a warm sweater, a pair of jeans, a new bra and pantie set, a pair tennis shoes, and a big white towel. She's relieved that she'll be able to shower before heading up. She's sure she looks a mess and knows that Mac is back, because the boat is moving across the water.

She takes a quick shower and throws her hair up in a ponytail before heading to the deck to find Christian. She finds him sitting on the same bench she sat in the day before. Mac is at the wheel and he gives her a wave when he sees her.

"Good morning, Mac." She gives him a polite smile and has a seat next to Christian, curling up against him. He's warm like always and she allows herself to snuggle into him.

"The sun is actually out today." She mentions, enjoying the morning sunlight.

Christian wraps his arm around her and presses a kiss to her head. "It's a beautiful morning for sailing."

Nodding, Anastasia looks around, enjoying looking at the waterfront houses that go by. She wonders just how expensive the houses are. She sees one in the distance on her right side that catches her eye. It's a large house with many windows, surrounded by acres of green grass and a meadow that backs up to the shore of the Sound. It instantly reminds her of the dream she had of them just weeks prior.

Christian sees that something has caught her attention and is surprised to see her captivated by the secluded property. As the sailboat continues to slice through the water, the property disappears behind them and she relaxes against him once again, laying her head on his shoulder.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Christian asks, twirling a loose tendril of her hair around his finger.

A smirk forms on Anastasia's lips. "Incredible. I didn't think it was possible for every muscle in my body to be so relaxed at once."

Leaning closer to her ear, he asks if she enjoyed what they did in bed.

She gives him a bashful smile and nods.

"Does that mean you're willing to experiment a little more?"

"Definitely." _More than willing._

Running his hands up and down her back, he nuzzles into her ear. "This is going to be fun."

 **A/N: Let me know if you want a teaser for Chapter 21.**


	21. Chapter 21

"Ana-banana! Look at this!" Mia is holding up a sweet little baby outfit, fit for a prince.

Anastasia, Grace, and Mia are spending Sunday afternoon shopping for clothes, and Grace convinced the girls to stop in _Children's Place_ to look at all things baby. Honestly, it didn't take much convincing for either one of them to drop what they were doing to shop for the baby.

"It's adorable...but, Mia...what if we have a girl?" Anastasia has just begun her fourteenth week and won't have another ultrasound until week eighteen, in which the gender will finally be revealed.

Mia holds up a similar outfit, but instead of blue, it's purple.

"You're getting both?" Anastasia asks.

Mia grins and nods, placing both in the cart.

Anastasia shakes her head at her friend, but doesn't admonish her for it. The baby is going to be Mia's first niece or nephew and Anastasia loves watching how excited she is about the baby. Mia's excitement is always so contagious and Anastasia can feel her own excitement bubbling the longer they shop.

"So, have you thought of any names for baby Grey, yet?" Grace asks, looking through the racks of 0-3 month outfits.

Anastasia winces at the nickname for the baby. She doesn't want them getting used to calling the baby 'Grey'. She hasn't decided what she wants for the baby's last name, yet. She hates the thought of the baby having a different last name than her, but Steele-Grey sounds so cheesy to her. She chooses not to bring it up to his mother and sister and just hopes that they don't continue to use that nickname.

"No. We haven't really talked about it. I want to wait until we know the gender." Anastasia thumbs through some cream colored rompers.

"That's getting close." Grace grins over at Anastasia. "Are you hoping for one or the other?"

Anastasia shrugs. "I really don't have a preference, just happy to be able to carry my own." Her hand runs over her bump. "I think deep down though, Christian wants a girl. The other day I caught him looking at baby furniture online and he was looking at this pink and white crib with a crown and tulle."

Grace laughs. "If you have a girl, he's going to be beside himself. She'll turn him gray before her fifth birthday."

"Serves him right." Anastasia mentions, laughing.

"I hope she gives him a run for his money." Mia states, grinning. "I'd love to see him deal with a strong-headed little thing."

"Oh, God." Anastasia complains, realizing. "They're going to be bickering constantly."

Grace can just picture her son bickering with a three-foot little girl. She knows he's going to have to negotiate a lot with his daughter if she's anything like him and has a feeling that her granddaughter might end up on the winning end of those negotiations more so than not.

XxXxXx

When the girls return to Grace and Carrick's, Anastasia finds Christian sitting in front of the television. His elbow is propped up on the arm rest and he's holding his head up, but his eyes are closed. _He's fallen asleep._

Her lips curl up into an evil grin.

Slipping off her flats, she makes a flying leap right for him and lands in his lap, scaring him quite effectively.

"OOF! What...What the fuh… Steele! What the fuck are you doing?" His eyes are still heavy with sleep and he looks completely disoriented.

"Nice to see you, too, beau."

He growls and rests his head against the back of the couch, rubbing his eyes. "I hadn't even realized I dozed off."

"Why are you so tired?" Usually, Christian doesn't have a problem staying awake during the day. It's odd for him to doze off, let alone doze off unintentionally.

"I didn't sleep well last night."

Anastasia's eyebrows knit together. "Why not? You had the big bed all to yourself for once."

Picking his head back up, his arms find their way around her. "It was too cold. I didn't have my human heater with me." He nuzzles into her neck, breathing in her scent. _He's missed her._ He had a dinner meeting last night and was disappointed to find his bed empty when he got home. "Don't make me sleep alone again tonight." He wishes she'd just move in with him already.

"You can come warm my bed up this time, then." She agrees, running her hands through his hair to try to get it to lay right.

He hums. "That sounds good." His eyes dance around her face, taking in every freckle, every line, every inch of alabaster skin that makes up her face.

"What?" She laughs, feeling a little self-conscious that he's staring so intently.

"Kiss me." He craves the feeling of her soft lips against his.

"Absolutely." She's more than willing to comply with his demand. It's been over 24 hours since they've seen each other. It's probably the longest they've been apart since they found out about the pregnancy.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

The two pull apart and find Elliot standing there with an evil grin on his face.

Christian grins up at his brother. "Hey there, _Lelliot._ What's going on?"

"You tell me." Elliot cocks an eyebrow and folds his arms, looking like a father about to chastise his son for doing something naughty. "How long has this been going on?"

"Not long."

"What's not long?"

"Since Detroit."

"Since… what the fuck, dude! That was three weeks ago!" Elliot plops down next to them on the couch and punches Christian hard in the arm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What's going on?" Mia comes moseying into the room at the perfect time to see Elliot hitting Christian. "What'd I miss?"

"Well, dear sister, it seems that our brother and his best friend have been doing the dirty behind our back for three weeks now."

"What? You two are together? Like...together together?" Mia is having a hard time believing it. She knew that they'd be good together and that someday, they'd end up realizing it, too, but it seems surreal now that the time has come.

"Yes." Christian answers, smiling at Anastasia.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mia takes it upon herself to punch Christian in the opposite arm, making him hiss.

"Shit, Mia…" Christian rubs his other arm, frowning that now both of his arms are sore.

"Well, I can't smack Ana… she's pregnant!"

Anastasia beams up at Christian. "Yea, I'm pregnant."

Mia tuts. "Don't worry, Steele. You'll get yours. You won't be pregnant forever."

XxXxXx

The dining room is full of voices and laughter all through dinner and it's like music to Grace and Carrick's ears. Sunday dinner is always their favorite time of the week; it reminds them of years they spent wrangling their children while they were young. The boys were always bickering, Mia was always singing, and rarely did the house ever feel completely serene. They were looking forward to the day where they would have time to receive the peace they deserved, but when that time came, they realized that with the silence, came heartache.

It wasn't until Christian graduated from college that Grace demanded that they get together once a week to see each other. After a little bit of moaning and groaning from her children, she convinced all of them to come. It only took a few weeks for the Grey children to warm up to the idea and now look forward to Sunday just as much as they do.

Slowly, their family is growing and Carrick and Grace are enjoying every bit of it. With Anastasia coming every week with Christian and Kate coming almost as much with Elliot, they know that it won't be long before they welcome two new daughters into the family. Neither parent has ever seen either of their sons act this way with women before. Christian is head over heels for his best friend and Elliot acts like a well-trained puppy around Kate. Elliot has stars in his eyes any time he looks at the sweet blonde and both are hoping he isn't crazy enough to let her slip through his fingers.

"Boys, before you leave tonight, I need some help moving a few of the boxes in the boat house." Carrick mentions as dessert closes.

"No can do." Christian states, seriously.

"Oh, no! You're not getting out of this, Chris."

Christian hisses at the name his brother uses for him.

"And...why can't you help?" Carrick is confused.

"I'm not sure if you realize this, but your children are savages. They broke both of my arms earlier. I can't possibly pick anything up with these now." He shrugs his shoulders and then pretends to wince.

Grace laughs. "You had no trouble shoveling my pot roast and apple pie in your mouth, but a minute ago! So convenient you complain of broken arms now."

"You're helping." Carrick states. He's not going to allow his son to get out of this.

"He just doesn't want to reveal how weak he is compared to the rest of us. Claude told me he brought you to your knees in two minutes on Wednesday." Claude is Christian's personal trainer and happens to belong to the same gym that Elliot does.

"It was a cheap shot. I can lift twice the amount you do." Christian hisses. The subject of children came up while the men were sparring and Claude made a remark about Christian's daughter dating his son one day. The idea of having a girl was nerve wracking enough, but the fact that one day she'd be dating boys startled him so much, it threw him off his game, allowing Claude to bring him to his knees.

"Don't be a dill-hole." Elliot retorts. "The only thing you lift are those obnoxiously expensive pens in your office."

"That's more than the single finger you lift, showing your employees where to drop the building supplies that _you_ refuse to carry, jack-weed."

"It's called supervising, manure-breath."

"A real leader leads by example. What you are is a power hungry Neanderthal who, in all reality, couldn't find his own ass with both hands if his employees weren't there kissing it!"

"Enough! If you two want to throw your weight around, then do it with the boxes and keep your mouths shut!" Grace raises her voice just above normal, but barely. It's enough to get her children's attention and both Christian and Elliot stand up.

"Fine." Christian hisses through clenched teeth.

"Fine with me." Elliot retorts, scowling at his brother.

"One…" Christian counts.

"Two…" Elliot continues, his voice low and menacing.

Grace lets out a long, frustrated sigh, knowing what's going to happen.

"THREE!" Both men push their chair backs quickly as they run to the door and Grace just manages to catch Christian's before it falls backwards against the wood floor with a clatter.

The patio door slams and Grace gives Carrick a look. "Don't let them kill each other."

Carrick can't help, but chuckle as he stands, kissing his wife on the cheek before heading out back to the boathouse. He keeps his stride slow, enjoying a lovely stroll to the back building, in no hurry to deal with his sons. He knows that if he takes long enough, that both men will have most of the boxes moved downstairs by the time he gets there.

Sure enough, when he opens the door, he finds a load of boxes sitting next to the door and both men hustling down the stairs, each with three boxes stacked on top of each other.

"You know if you fall down those steps with those, that your mother will have both your heads." Carrick says nonchalantly as he reopens the door he just came through. "Take them to the garage. Your mother in participating in the community garage sale this year."

They continue out the door without so much as a word, Elliot leading. Both of them are almost at a sprint by the time they get halfway across the lawn and Christian ends up tripping Elliot, making him and his boxes go flying across the green, wet grass.

Christian snickers as he watches the scene unfold in front of him and hurries to the garage, hoping that neither of his parents saw what he just did.

"Elliot Trevelyan-Grey!" Grace's voice can be heard from the patio doors as Christian disappears into the garage with his boxes. He has a giant smile on his face and pats himself on the back for his handiwork.

"Good job, C." He tells himself before heading back out to grab a few more boxes.

He sticks his tongue out at Elliot, who is still sitting in the grass with Grace standing over him, chastising him like he's still a child.

"What if those had been my grandmother's china? I swear to the Lord in Heaven, Elliot Trevelyan-Grey…"

Christian knows better than to think that his mother would ever store anything of her grandmothers in some old paper boxes at the boathouse. If there is any glass in these boxes, it'll be something his mother doesn't want and has no sentimental value to her. Most likely, it's full of clothes from their childhood or from when his father was more fit. It seems that his father's waist size goes up with every passing year. Maybe his mother got sick of hoping his father would take better care of himself and has decided to just sell them at the garage sale for charity.

"Christian!" His heart lurches at the sound of his name, but it quickly fades when he realizes it isn't his mother's voice. As he turns around, he sees Anastasia hurrying over to him.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Taylor. He's here. He says he has some urgent information he needs to share with us." Anastasia feels panicked. Taylor has never interrupted a family dinner in all the years that he's worked for Christian. Something serious must be happening for him to feel the need to knock on the door.

Christian's heart lurches yet again as Anastasia takes his hand and begins to pull him back toward the patio doors.

They quickly make their way into the sitting room, where Taylor is standing.

"What's going on, Taylor?" Christian stops a few feet from Taylor with Anastasia at his side, squeezing his hand tightly. The lightheartedness from earlier is quickly forgotten and reality has crept back into his chest, filling it with dread.

"The police contacted me about Jack Hyde's case. He's been released from custody."

A rush of air escapes from Anastasia's lips and it feels as if Taylor has knocked the wind out of her. She never realized that five words could do as much damage as a punch in the gut. She has to bend over a little to allow her lungs to suck in a breath. Her lungs seemed to stop functioning after the blow. It takes all her energy to concentrate on expanding her chest to allow room for her oxygen starved lungs to receive the air they need.

"What the fuck? How? He's a murderer!" Instead of the shock and fear that Anastasia is experiencing, Christian's body fills with nothing but anger and he becomes furious. He releases Anastasia's hand and begins to pace a few feet away, his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his manicured fingernails begin to draw blood and every vein in each arm strains against his skin.

He can't remember the last time he's felt so murderous. He'd rather meet his abuser face-to-face again than to have to hear Taylor's words one more time. This man murdered a woman… all for a damn book he wanted to say was his. He's a threat to Anastasia and their child. Because of Anastasia's keen eye, he's been sitting in jail for weeks while they investigated his role in the crime. Hyde is many things, but stupid is not one of them. It's obvious the man is smart enough to get away with the shit he wants and now he's back on the streets to victimize whoever the hell he wants...and Christian has a feeling that Anastasia and SIP are at the top of that list.

Christian's anger raises his blood pressure so much, that the blood pools at his face, making it crimson. Sweat pours down his face and he begins to pant, suddenly feeling lightheaded and sick to his stomach. He begins to see stars and he finds himself closing his eyes, trying to find some sense of control. He's completely lost control of himself, which hasn't happened since his freshman year of college, when he was almost kicked out of the university for beating the shit out of a student across the hall for running his mouth.

"Christian, honey, have a seat." His mother's voice breaks through the buzzing in his ears, bringing him back to the present and giving him something to concentrate on. Her small, warm hands grasp his biceps. "It's right behind you...just bend your knees...there you go…"

He does as he's told and his backside finds the cool wood of the corner desk chair. He's still bent double, his eyes closed, while he tries to keep himself from regurgitating his dinner and lowering his blood pressure.

"Sit back, lovebug, I've got you. Just relax back."

Christian rests his back against the wood slats on the back of the chair and he leans his head back until it rests against the top slat. Immediately he feels a cool, wet rag over his forehead and his eyes.

"Just take deep breaths, and concentrate on keeping them slow and deep." Grace has dealt with this on multiple occasions with Christian, but it's been years since she's had to calm him down like this. He's always had an issue with anger, his teenage years being the worst, but she hoped that she'd never have to see him like this again. _At least she was here to help him through it._

Grace strokes Christian's hair and encourages him to take cleansing breaths in through his nose, out through his mouth. Slowly, the blood begins to drain back down from his face and it returns to its normal color. His stomach is still sour, but the nausea is gone and he's no longer sweating.

Taylor stands there, worried for Christian. He has never seen him react so viscerally before. It's as if all logic ceased to function, causing an emotional response so severe that it shook his entire being. Christian has always been in such control of his surroundings that when he lost it a few minutes ago, Taylor didn't know how to react to make it better. He begins to wonder if telling Christian at all was the right decision.

"I'm alright, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Christian sits up straight in his chair and rubs his forehead a few times. "Gave me one hell of a headache, though."

He sees Anastasia sitting on the edge of the couch with her hands over her mouth, staring worriedly at him.

"Ana, come here. I'm fine."

Her eyebrows knit together and her eyes narrow at him. She stands quickly, but her look of worry has now changed and it actually looks like she's angry with him.

"You gave us a damn heart attack, Christian Grey!" She smacks his arm. "Don't you ever do anything like that again!"

It's the third time he's been smacked and he finds himself having to rub the hurt out of his arm after the third strike.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" He grabs her around the waist and yanks her down into his lap. "You be nice and sit here. I'm too exhausted to fight you right now." It feels as if he's run a marathon. The feeling is all too familiar and brings back memories he wishes he could forget. He lacked emotional control for so much of his life… If it wasn't or his mother and the therapy she forced him to go to, he might have never gotten control of himself. Everytime he would have what his mother would call a 'fit', it would drain his energy for the rest of his day and he felt like a ragdoll until he slept it off.

Sighing, Anastasia leans against him and runs her fingers over the stubble along his chin. "I forgot how scary it is to watch you break down." She rubs her hand over her stomach, which has gone sour now. "Gave me a tummy ache."

He frowns and runs his hand over her stomach. It's the first time he's realized just how much these 'fits' affect his loved ones. Growing up, he was too focused on how it made him feel that he never paid any attention to what it did to everyone else.

"I'll call Dr. Flynn." He's only been seeing him once a month, but it's obvious that Christian is suffering the ramifications from the lack of therapy.

"Are you going to be alright if Taylor explains what's happened?" Anastasia wants to hear why Jack is no longer in custody, but she doesn't want to push Christian past his breaking point.

"Yes, yes, of course. I'm sorry I upset all of you over this. It won't happen again." Now that he's got it out of his system, he knows he won't have another episode. Christian waves to the armchair closest to where they're sitting and asks Taylor to have a seat.

Taylor eyes Christian, seeing him in a different light. Although he works for Christian, their relationship goes deeper than just an employer-employee relationship. He cares for him and it's sobering to see Christian so emotionally vulnerable. It makes him seem more… _human._ Christian has always been good to him, but part of him always seemed almost _artificial_ in the way that he didn't show much emotion.

"I'm fine Taylor. We need to know why Hyde was able to slip through the cracks."

Grace and Mia have a seat on the couch, curious to hear what Taylor has to say, as well. Although Christian doesn't want to get the whole family involved, perhaps it is best to educate them on the matter in case Hyde begins to threaten the family.

"Basically Hyde said that he just happened to find the story in a trashcan one day and thought it was good enough to be published. He said he figured it'd be an easy way to make money. He said he knew it was wrong to claim it as his own, but other than finding the binder, he has nothing to do with the woman. He told the police that he didn't even know who the binder belonged to."

Anastasia lets out a laugh. "And they believed it?" It's a ridiculous story. It was obvious that the man had to steal someone else's book if he wanted to be a published writer...he'd definitely never be able to write his own. Unfortunately, she knew for him, it was just about the money. He saw an opportunity and he took it.

"So far, they haven't found any fingerprints or DNA of his at the crime scene. They haven't checked the whole house, but they checked the basement and the stairs leading down to the freezer and they found nothing, so they couldn't hold him any longer. We just have to hope that they find something as they continue to process each fingerprint and fiber that they find in the house. It's an exhausting process, I'm sure."

"So they just let him go…" Anastasia states, disbelieving. Jack has been sitting in jail for weeks...enough time to mull over what has happened and plan what his next move is going to be. He's had nothing, but time to think and plot and he knows exactly who went to the police. If he's angry enough or if he thinks there's any chance that the police will find evidence that he was at the crime scene, it's only a matter of time before he comes after her or SIP. If he comes after her then it means that the baby is in danger. The thought of something happening to the baby is too tragic to even think about.

"What if he comes after me? What's going to happen to the baby?" She rests her head on Christian's shoulder, suddenly feeling exhausted herself.

Christian's heart gives a painful lurch. "I will never let anything happen to you. You both are going to be fine. I would die before I let him touch you, do you understand?" He strokes her hair. "Let's just go home...to my place." He hates that she still doesn't live with him full time, but now is not the time to bring it up. They have more important matters to tend to at the moment and as long as they're together and safe, then he can't complain. She had mentioned that she wanted to stay at her place, but his apartment is safer right now.

Anastasia nods against his shoulder and straightens to rise off his lap. She's ready for a relaxing bath and the warmth of his bed.

Grace stands to hug them and squeezes Anastasia against her. Her heart aches for her son and Anastasia, but there's really nothing she can say to make anything better. She knows that Christian will take every precaution possible to keep them safe and he's got the financial capabilities to do it. She knows telling them to be careful would be a moot point, so all she can manage to do is hold onto them tight as she hugs them and pray for their safety.

Carrick and Elliot come clambering from outside, dirt and dust clinging to their sweaty faces and arms, looking for Christian.

"We're heading out." Christian states, before Elliot can demand that he come back out to help them.

"But-"

"The boxes can wait, Elliot. Christian and Ana need to go home." Grace knows she'll have to explain, but it can wait until they're gone. It's important that they both get some rest and that Anastasia do her best to stay stress free with the baby. Mia is still sitting on the couch, quiet and still, and she wonders if Mia is trying to keep herself together for the sake of her brother and friend. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

On the way to the car, Grace silently prays for them and the family, hoping that the police work quickly and Jack will be back behind bars where he belongs. It's going to be a long night for everyone involved. It isn't something to take lightly and trying to turn the mind off to sleep after receiving this kind of information will be next to impossible.

She stands at the front porch as they drive away, finally letting her tears flow. "Please, God. Please. Keep my family safe."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I know this one doesn't have much in it, but I needed one more buffer chapter before a little drama happens.**

It's barely been twenty-four hours since finding out that Hyde is on the loose, and Christian is having a terrible time trying to navigate through his emotions. He's trying to hide it, but anyone who's been around him for more than a few seconds can see his inner struggle. He was unable to focus and keep still during his morning meetings and he skipped his morning coffee all together, even telling Andrea to take it back after she brought it to him. He felt as if he was having heart palpitations already, adding caffeine to his already fragile nerves might cause him to have one of his infamous 'fits'.

He'd rather feel exhausted than lose the reputation of being the confident, calm, dominant businessman that he's put so much effort into building. His company is large and he's at the top. What would people think if they saw him lose it first hand? Not only would they question his stability as a person, but also his ability to run a business. A basketcase cannot run a successful business. It would be devastating to run it right into the ground after all this work, especially now that he has a baby on the way.

Fortunately, Anastasia knows Christian like the back of her hand and knows just how hard he's working at keeping up the facade. She decides to leave work a little early and head to Escala to surprise him by making his favorite dinner. She shoo's Gail back to their side of the apartment and searches through his closet, looking over the wardrobe he bought her a couple of weeks ago with the hope it'd convince her to move in officially. It hadn't done the job, but it is nice for her to have a full wardrobe to choose from while she's at Escala. He handpicked every maternity outfit and piece of lingerie and just the thought of Christian spending the precious time he has on this painstaking task just to make her happy has her melting into a puddle on the floor. She had almost succumbed to his charm and agreed to move in then, but she bit her tongue.

Christian doesn't know it yet, but Anastasia has already made the decision to move in with him...but not yet. The baby will be born before they know it and once the bundle of joy is here, they'll all live as a beautiful little family. Until then, she wants to soak up all the time alone that she can. She knows that once the baby is born, she'll rarely get any breathing room for herself. Secretly, she hopes Christian finds a home for the three of them before the baby is born, because if he doesn't, she'll have to move twice.

 _She hates moving._

As she's standing at the counter cutting up the potatoes for the oven, a song comes over the built in stereo system for the apartment, making her smile. Christian is finally home and he's playing her favorite, Billy Currington. _Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right_ cuts through the sound of her knife on the cutting board and she feels two strong arms wrap around her. _Christian._

She relaxes back into his chest and lets him sway them back and forth while his hands cup her stomach and he nibbles on her ear.

"I've missed you today." He whispers in her ear.

"Mmm." She hums in agreement. His smell is intoxicating.

Christian nuzzles into her neck and breathes in deep. "This is the only thing that calms me." He murmurs against her skin.

Anastasia smiles. "What is?"

"What I've got my arms around. You and our baby. You two are the only things I need in the world, love. I couldn't cope without either of you. If I lost either of you… it'd be the end of me."

His heartfelt confession brings tears to her eyes. She doesn't even know how to respond to something so lovely. Instead, she turns her head and presses a sweet, firm kiss to his lips, showing her appreciation.

"We both love you so much, Christian. Our baby is going to be head over heels for you." She smiles at the thought.

"I hope so. I'm already head over heels for them." He rubs her stomach affectionately as he begins to rock them back and forth along with the music once again.

Christian's right hand wanders up to her shoulder, where he slides the black spaghetti strap to the side, letting it fall to her arm. Leaning down, he presses his lips to her soft, pale skin. "Is this all for me?" He tugs lightly at the lace black babydoll she's wearing.

The warm breath on her neck makes her shiver.

"Yes." She breathes out, her body beginning to ache for him already.

"Can't we have dessert first?" He asks, nipping along her shoulder.

Anastasia opens her mouth to reply, but her stomach speaks for her with a large gurgle, evidence of her empty stomach.

Christian sighs. "Dinner first, Anastasia. You should never leave your stomach that empty while pregnant."

She rolls her eyes as he chastises her. "Christian, I ate lunch and had an apple as a snack afterward. It's just dinner time. We'll play after dinner." She picks up the forgotten knife on the cutting board and begins to chop the potatoes again.

XxXxXx

Cooking dinner takes twice as long as it should because Christian can't keep his hands to himself. Anastasia's body is like a magnet, drawing him to her every time he manages to wander a few feet away. His fingertips keep stroking their way down her bare arms, creamy thighs, and swollen stomach, causing her to lose focus while preparing their meal.

Watching her pregnant and in the kitchen puts his body in overdrive, luring him even deeper into his need to touch her. She's his siren, her body her song, and he's just a poor, lonely sailor finding himself willing to lose everything, including his life, to be with her. He never knew that attraction like this existed until they finally crossed the line from friends to lovers. Now, he finds himself aching for her constantly...aching just to touch her...to hear her giggle...watch her smile...listen to his name on her lips as he pushes her over the edge of yet another beautiful orgasm…

"Christian?"

He shakes away his thoughts and sees that she's staring up at him.

"Are you ready to eat?"

 _Fuck, yes._ He's ready to eat. _But food won't satisfy him._

 _Patience, Grey._

He has to remind himself that Baby Grey needs to eat. Knowing that their child has gone hungry because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants for twenty more minutes would be devastating. _What kind of man would that make him?_

 _Nothing, but a bastard. A real man wouldn't allow his child to go hungry._

"Come sit with me." She gives him a sweet smile and takes his hand, while her other hand carries a dish. But there's only one dish… It confuses him.

"Ana… where's the other plate?"

Anastasia gives him a salacious grin. "You'll see."

 _Oh…_

Anastasia knows that he won't have her until after she eats, but her body is begging for him. She knows she'll have to get creative. _Nothing wrong with satisfying two needs at once._

When they reach the table, she releases his hand and and places the food at the head of the table, next to his chair. While he takes a seat, she reaches down and slips off her black panties, discarding them on the floor for now.

"Ana… food first." It takes effort for Christian to remain business-like, but his voice is breathier than he had hoped it'd be.

She nods. "Yes, we're going to eat. Just getting comfortable." She slides into his lap and shimmies a little, glad to feel the hard bulge against her soft backside. She looks over his shoulder at him. "Is this okay?"

"Perfect." He breathes out in a whisper. His dick is now throbbing for her.

She takes the fork and knife and takes her time cutting up the chicken breasts, before taking a bite. "Mmm, it's good." Turning sideways, she presses a soft kiss to her lips. "May I feed you?"

Christian groans and his head falls back a little. "Please."

Anastasia holds the fork to his lips and he takes an appreciative bite. "It is good." He says, while chewing.

"Baby, we aren't having seafood tonight." Seeing his mashed up food in his mouth makes her pregnant stomach a little queasy.

He chuckles at her comment and swallows. "Sorry, love."

She stands and turns so that she's straddling him and reaches back to stab a piece of potato. As she brings it to her mouth, the potato falls off the fork and onto her chest, getting stuck between her swollen breasts and the lacy black material barely holding them in place. Her breasts seem to grow with every day that passes and she finds herself dropping things on them more each day.

"Oh, no." Her eyebrows knit together, but before she can reach in to grab it, Christian ducks his head, beating her to it. She leans back a little to make it easier for him and she feels his warm, soft lips against her sensitive skin as he dives for it. His tongue slips out of his mouth to grab it and she hums at the feel of it.

The feeling of him growing for her again makes her center clench and she slides back just enough to release him from his bottoms.

As she's unzipping his pants, Christian cocks an eyebrow at her. "I thought we agreed dinner first."

Anastasia gives him a sassy smile. "I just want to keep it hard and warm while we eat."

"Fuck." At her words, his dick jumps in her hand. He lets her pump his length a few times with her soft hands, enjoying the look of concentration on her face and the way her bottom lip finds its way between her teeth.

She rises just enough for him to slip in between her folds and she impales herself onto his length, making them both groan.

"We're eating dinner like this?" Christian's voice is breathy as he grips her hips. Sex is the only thing that can keep his mind from food. Especially sex with her.

She grinds and gives him a salacious grin when he groans. "Yes. If you don't finish your meal, you don't get to come."

His eyes that are closed pop open and he gives her a shocked look. "Excuse me?"

She bites her lip and giggles. "You heard me, Mr. Grey."

He becomes impossibly harder inside of her and she clenches her muscles hard around him.

Reaching around, she stabs at a piece of chicken and a potato, holding both of them to his mouth. "Open wide."

He gives her a crooked smirk. "Soon, I'll be telling you that." Quickly, he takes the food from the fork and gives her a wink as he chews.

Anastasia continues to feed them both, grinding against him every so often so that pleasure shoots through them both and keeps him hard.

It doesn't take long before the plate is empty and Christian stands quickly, depositing Anastasia onto the table in front of him. He sits down in front of her, her center bared to him, making him lick his lips.

She laughs. "What are you doing?" She was planning on fucking his brains out.

"Eating my dessert. I earned it." Taking an asscheek in each hand he spreads them lightly, opening up her center beautifully for him. She's deep pink, dripping wet, and her clit is begging to be touched. He blows lightly on it.

"Christian…" She whimpers, relaxing back on the wood table. "Please…"

"Please what?"

"Kiss me."

"Where?"

She growls out in frustration. "You know where!"

He chuckles. "I do. It's practically begging for it." Leaning forward, he kisses the ball of nerves lightly, making her let out a soft sigh. The sigh urges him on and he ceases his teasing and gets to work, enjoying the sounds he manages to pull from her.

It still bothers him a little that no man has never had the urge to pleasure Anastasia this way before. A part of his is grateful though, that no one has gotten the pleasure of tasting or hearing her while their face was between her thighs. _Only him._ Her pleasure is now all for him. He gets to control how, where, and when he makes her convulse underneath him while she cries out his name. It's completely intoxicating. He can't get enough.

XxXxXx

He fucked her right there on the table before carrying her straight to bed, where they spend the next two hours floating in and out of consciousness, basking in their post-coital bliss.

Anastasia's body feels warm, light, and is practically humming from the feeling of content lying in bed. She breathes in deeply and lets it out slowly, letting her body relax back into the bed as she drifts back into unconsciousness.

Christian's eyes remain closed, but he's awake, enjoying the feel of Anastasia's warm body against his own. When she takes the deep breath, he grins.

"Ana…" He presses a kiss to her ear, then two more to the sweet spot behind her ear.

"Hmm?" Her voice is soft and sleepy.

He presses his hard on against her bum.

A sleepy smile forms on her lips. "Again?"

Chuckling, he runs a hand down her side. "I can't help it. I'm addicted. You're the best I've ever had."

She rolls onto her back and turns her head to press a kiss to his lips, humming in agreement. "It's all thanks to our baby." She pats her stomach. "Crazy pregnancy hormones making me want to jump your bones."

He shakes his head at her silliness, grinning down at her. "You two are the best things that ever happened to me. I just wish it could have happened sooner."

"It happened when it was supposed to."

"Yea, you're probably right. I would have never been able to graduate from college if we would have become a couple back then. My grades would have gone to shit. I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands and mind off you." He runs his palm up the center of her body, resting it between her breasts so he can feel her heartbeat. "Just like now." His penis is throbbing for her. "I need you, Ana. I promise, I'll make it fast."

Anastasia shakes her head, making him pout. "I don't want it fast. I want it long and slow."

Christian's pout quickly turns into a smile. "Your wish is my command."

XxXxXx

"Fuck, you're incredible. Let's play hooky tomorrow and come home early to fall back into bed."

Anastasia laughs. "Christian, you're forgetting that I have plans tomorrow night."

Christian's eyebrows knit together. "You can't tell me you're still planning on going! With that dickbeater loose!"

Anastasia lets out a long sigh, knowing that getting angry will only make this argument worse. "Christian, I am not going to stop living my life because of him. You're doubling up on my CPO's. There are going to be two with me and I know what he looks like. I'll be careful. I won't let him ruin my life."

"I understand you want your independence, but this is an awful time to get stubborn about it! It's for your own good!" Christian feels the relaxation from their second round of lovemaking quickly dissipating, anger and frustration replacing it.

"I have protection! It's just dinner with a few people from work. I'll be gone for two hours, max. I promise."

"I don't like it. I don't know if you're safe if I can't see you with my own eyes."

"Then, why the hell do you pay these people to babysit me? Don't you trust them?"

"Of course, I do. I just… I just want to see you with my own eyes. Know you're happy and healthy." Christian does his best to try to reason with his girl, but he knows how stubborn she is. He's hoping that just this once, she'll listen.

"If you're going to keep me locked up in this ivory tower, I am not going to be happy."

"It's not that I want to keep you locked up…" _Well, that's a lie, Grey._ At least if she stayed in the apartment, he'd know she was safe.

"You know… I don't believe you even for a minute. But… to show you that I'm not as stubborn as you think I am… and because we're in a relationship and we need to find a way to compromise sometimes…"

He is now intrigued. "Well? Spit it out."

"Why don't you come with me?"

He's surprised that she's so willing to bring him along. "Really?"

"Yea, why not? That way you'll be with me and know that I am perfectly fine. Plus, I mean, you're my boyfriend now and everyone has realized I'm pregnant… or I hope they have. I suppose someone could just be thinking I'm getting fat. There's been whispers on who the father is, so I might as well officially introduce you to everyone as my boyfriend and father of my baby."

He grins. "Your baby daddy."

"No! I told you never to say that again!" Anastasia sighs. "So, are you going to come?"

"Of-fucking-course I'm coming! It's about time you claim me in public." He leans down and presses a kiss to her bare stomach. "It's official, baby. Mommy and Daddy are admitting it to the world!"


	23. Chapter 23

**I know it's been awhile, but like I've promised in the past, I promise to not give up until this one is finished. It might take me a long time, but I'm slowly working toward completing it.**

Light hits Christian's face, causing him to wake. He startles a little and blinks a few times, trying to adjust.

"Oh, sorry, beau." Anastasia quickly turns off the bathroom light, allowing Christian to see better in the dim light coming from the floor-to-ceiling windows caused by the cloudy day. His eyes drag up and down her naked body, taking in her beautiful, pregnant form.

"Waking up to your naked body is a perfect way to start the day." He gives her a boyish grin, his hair a mess from sleeping, and she can't help but giggle at how cute he is in the morning.

"It's still too early, baby. Come back to bed." He pulls the duvet and sheet down enough for her to slip back in. It's only 6:00 am, which means they have an hour before they have to get up. It gives him one more hour to doze while wrapped around her.

She doesn't have to be told twice. If it wasn't for the baby pressing on her bladder, she would have never gotten up. She climbs in bed and turns away from him, scooting over until her back comes in contact with his front.

Nuzzling into her neck, he breathes deep. "Waking up to you is by far one of my favorite parts of the day."

A smile forms on her face as she closes her eyes. "And what is your other favorite part?"

"Falling asleep with you after rolling around naked together."

His comment makes her laugh. "I like all that too."

"Just like?"

She rolls her eyes. "Okay, fine. Love. I love the closeness. I didn't think it was possible for us to be any closer than we were… but, we've managed, and I don't want it to stop. I want you to ravish me and hold me and be affectionate and...God. I sound so pathetic, don't I?"

Christian chuckles. "I happen to like pathetic. It means you need me."

Anastasia snorts and rolls her eyes.

"I'm just kidding, love. It isn't pathetic to crave affection. I do the same with you. You're the only person in the world that can touch me and I feel like it's more than just a craving. It's become a necessity for me. Your touch calms me… it's therapeutic."

She rolls toward him and takes his face in her hands, giving him a long, soft kiss. "I love you, Christian. So much." Her hands wander down, her palms running over his chest and abdomen. His muscles relax under her palms and he lets out a contented sigh.

"I love you, too. Please… move in with me. We both love this, so why are you fighting it?"

"Christian…" She frowns. He's never going to give up. "Let's not talk about that right now. Let's just enjoy laying here for awhile."

Although he wants to urge her to say yes, he knows bugging her will just make her more stubborn. He has to come at her in a gentle manner...but that doesn't mean he won't keep bringing it up until she says yes. He'll just have to nag her gently. _If there is such a thing._

XxXxXx

Christian's sitting at his desk, deep in an airline proposal. For some reason, the thought of owning an airline never crossed his mind until now. If done right, owning an airline could create so many jobs and make so much revenue. There is a lot that goes into aviation, but he's sure he can find the right people to deal with the FAA and legal aspects of it all. Since Ros is still a little sour about the shipyard going south, this might make up for the lost revenue for shipping. There is plenty of opportunity to ship goods via the skies instead of the water. He just has to decide how in depth this airline is going to be.

Commercial? Freight? Corporate? Private? There are so many directions Grey Airlines can go in, but he knows that they need to start in a specific category to work out the kinks and grow from there.

There's a knock on the door and by the order of the knocks, he knows it's Taylor.

Checking the door, Taylor finds it unlocked and makes his way in.

"Christian?"

"What's up, Taylor?"

Taylor doesn't bother to have a seat, which makes Christian's heart drop into his chest. He asked Taylor for an update on Detroit and Taylor remaining standing means he doesn't have much information.

"The Sheriff in Detroit finally got back to me today. Turns out he was dragging his feet with returning my phone call in hopes to dig something up on Jack. So far, they haven't found anything illegal pertaining to the funds that have gone missing. Turns out he also owns an apartment complex about ten minutes from the shipyard. It's rundown and filthy, so he's a slumlord. The police are looking to see if they can trace his funds for the apartment complex. They're hoping to go door-to-door and get some of the tenants to talk."

Christian grinds his teeth at the news. He wonders if it's the same apartment complex that he and his mother lived in...If it is, the filthy pimp had complete control of his mother… more control than he ever realized. He owned her apartment, got her addicted and became her drug dealer, and forced her to sell her body to make money for her rent and drug habit. The only way she could escape, was to escape the world. No wonder she's dead. _If it really was on purpose… she really hated the world much more than she loved him._ It took years of therapy before he could really comprehend just how much an addiction can control someone's life. Although his therapist has repeatedly said not to take it personal, Christian can't help, but to take it personally. His mother loved her addiction more than she loved her son...more than she loved herself. Christian wasn't enough for her to get clean, to keep him safe, or even herself. He's spent so much time and money working through these feelings and now, he realizes that all he's done is suppress them. Going back to Detroit has brought up all of these memories, these emotions… _these issues._

His issues.

There are so many.

"You alright, sir?"

He presses his palms into his eye sockets until he sees stars, hoping to get his shit together. It's Monday. He has too much shit to deal with to have a pity party right now. He's got to get through another half-day of work and then he has to escort Anastasia to Laurie's for her get-together with work friends. There is no way he's going to let her go without him. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her because he wanted to go home and pout into his pillow.

"I'm fine. Just feel the beginning of a migraine coming on." He knows that the fucker is doing something illegal. He's got to be hiding money. If he is still pimping women out of the apartment complex, the police will find out soon enough. The filthy son-of-a-bitch deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life. He's lived happy and free too damn long than any sadistic bastard deserves to.

"Should I get you something that will help ease it?" Taylor gives Christian a worried glance. He's worried about his employer… his friend.

Rubbing his temples, Christian squeezes his eyes shut. "Will you tell Andrea to grab me a couple Ibuprofen and a very large coffee?" Hopefully, caffeine will give him the boost he needs to keep going.

"Absolutely."

XxXxXxX

Anastasia stops by Christian's office for lunch and waves at Andrea on her way. As she opens his door, she finds him with his head on his desk, in a small puddle of drool.

 _How odd._

Worried that something is wrong, she immediately makes her way over to him, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Christian? Christian, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" He answers in his sleep, but doesn't bother to open his eyes.

"Baby, you're scaring me." She strokes his stubbled cheek with her thumb, hoping to rouse him.

Finally, Christian realizes where he is and he jerks up quickly, making Anastasia jump.

"Ana?" He looks up at her and back down at his desk where he finds the puddle of drool. "Shit." Reaching into his coat pocket quickly, he wipes at his mouth and then cleans his desk. "I must have drifted off."

"Why?" Her eyebrows knit together as she looks him over. He never drifts off at work.

"I had a migraine and wanted to rest my eyes for a few minutes. I guess a few minutes turned into sixty."

"Oh. Do you still have one?" Anastasia checks his forehead, checking for a fever. It's been years since he's complained of a migraine.

"No, it's better." Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he stretches and stands. "Let's get some lunch. I'll be good as new after some sustenance."

They head to the diner across the street and have a seat in the cozy corner, giving them a little privacy from all the other business men and and women lunching.

He pulls Anastasia's chair out for her and as he scoots it in, she keeps an eye on him. She is beginning to wonder if everything happening is putting too much pressure on her best friend. She has never caught him sleeping on the job. He's nothing, but business when he's working.

She continues to eye him as he unbuttons the button on his coat and has a seat across from her.

"Christian… are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should just go home after work and rest. I can go to Laurie's by myself. Sawyer will be there."

Christian gives her a hard look. "Absolutely not. I'm coming. I'm fine. Like I said, I just had a bit of a headache. I'm better now. After I eat, I'll be perfect."

Although she still feels as if he's lying to her, she doesn't press him on it. She doesn't want to add to the stress he's under at the moment. She knows he's worried sick over Jack running around and his abuser possibly getting away with money laundering and abuse.

XxXxXx

There's a knock on Anastasia's door frame, making her look away from her computer. She blinks a few times, realizing she's been staring at the screen too long, and sees Jose standing there, dimples shining on each cheek.

"You're not going to flake on us again, are you, Ana?" He teases lightly. This causes Anastasia to grin.

She enjoys his playfulness. His light personality makes him easy to get along with and makes her feel included within the workgroup. She knows that many are nervous around her, but he's never been intimidated by her. It's refreshing. She's hoping that he'll be the bridge that will give her the connection to the others that she so badly desires. It's important to her that the coworkers have a cohesiveness at the office.

"No," she shakes her head, "not this time."

His grin widens. "Great. Are you ready?"

"Um…" Looking at the clock she sees that there's still ten minutes until five. Christian is supposed to meet her here before heading across the street. "Sure." She decides to shoot Christian a quick text to let him know she'll meet him at _Laurie's_ and grabs her handbag.

On their way through the building and towards the doors, Jose calls out to the others and the group grows from two to eight quickly, with Sawyer trailing closely behind.

It's relatively easy for the group to find a table and Anastasia realizes quickly why Jose left a few minutes early. As soon as five o'clock hits, people begin to swarm and the place quickly fills.

"I hope no one minds that I invited Christian. He's been pretty protective since I've gotten pregnant." Anastasia wishes she would have run it by her peers before telling Christian he could come.

Hannah grins. "No one is going to complain that he's tagging along."

"That's a definite." Daysha, the HR receptionist winks at Anastasia. "Your best friend is one hot tamale."

Anastasia laughs along with the girls and her cheeks pink a little. She doesn't know why, but their compliments toward her best friend embarrasses her a bit. It also makes her realize that these girls have no idea that they're dating and that the baby is his. _They're in for a surprise._

"Speak of the devil…" Jose nods his head toward the door and in walks Christian, looking a little huffy.

As soon as Christian's eyes lock with Anastasia's, one eyebrow rises. It's obvious that he isn't happy about her early exit from work.

"Hello, Anastasia. Hello, everyone." He states cordially, but she can hear the coldness in his tone. Pulling out his chair and having a seat next to her, he throws an arm over the back of her chair and whispers in her ear, "Why didn't you wait for me?"

She gives him an innocent smile. "I didn't want to be stuck at work alone. Safety in numbers, beau." She batts her eyes at him playfully, trying to lighten the mood. It works.

The right side of Christian's mouth twitches upward. "Fine." Reaching over, he rubs her stomach. "How's baby Grey doing?" He asks, purposely using his last name for the baby. He refuses to let go without a fight. _The baby will have his last name._

"Baby Grey?" Hannah asks, overhearing.

Christian gives Hannah a megawatt smile. "Yes. Did Ms. Steele fail to mention that I'm the father?"

Hannah blushes as she makes eye contact with the Adonis. "Ana keeps her private life private. She hasn't mentioned who the father is, yet."

He lets out a light chuckle and pecks Anastasia's lips lightly. "Well, now you know."

"She's also failed to mention that she has a boyfriend." Daysha comments, wiggling her eyebrows.

Anastasia laughs. "I hadn't realized that I needed to send a mass email every time something happens in my personal life."

"This is why you need social media, Ana. So we can stalk you formally."

"No, thank you." Anastasia has a Facebook account, but she can't remember the last time she posted something, or even signed in. "I'm not that elated with the thought of nosy people knowing what I'm doing or thinking every second of the day."

"It isn't safe." Christian cuts in. "She's my girlfriend and she's carrying my child. That puts a large target on her back. Privacy is key."

"Along with a half dozen men in suits?" Jose asks, giving him a mischievous smile. He's trying to tease Christian, but it makes Anastasia wince. Christian doesn't do well when being teased about safety and protection.

Christian's eyebrow raises and he gives Jose a cold stare. "The CPO's are a must, Mr. Rodriguez. Their presence is no laughing matter."

Jose clears his throat and breaks eye contact with Christian. "Oh, um, okay then. Does everyone know what they want?" He asks, picking up his own menu.

Although the tension between Jose and Christian feels thick, the girls are able to steer the men away from their awkward encounter and the air around them seems to relax considerably, although Hannah remains an anxious mess on the other side of the table, squeaking nervously every time Christian looks her way.

Anastasia quickly realizes that Christian is doing this on purpose, no doubt amused by the girl's reaction. She smacks his hand lightly.

"Stop it. She's a quivering mess." She whispers into his ear.

"But it's fun." He grins at Anastasia and wiggles his eyebrows.

"You're not going to think it's fun when she spills her drink and it lands on that suit of yours." She sighs. "I think I'm going to use the restroom before our food arrives."

Anastasia stands, causing Christian to stand alongside her. "Would you like me to come with you?" He looks worried.

She gives him a polite smile. "No, Christian. I'm quite capable of going by myself. I'm sure the CPO's will guard the door." She teases lightly, but knows it's the truth. At least one CPO will be stationed outside of the bathroom until she returns.

"I'll refill your water while you're gone." Christian is constantly worried about her fluid intake. She tries to humor him, but it just means more trips to the bathroom for her.

"Thank you, beau." Anastasia pecks him on the lips and heads towards the back of the restaurant, where the bathrooms are located, with Sawyer on her trail.

Sawyer pushes the door open for her and takes a quick peek into the bathroom, causing Anastasia to hiss at him.

"Shame on you! This is the women's washroom! I'll be fine." She admonishes lightly, tapping him on his hand to get him to let loose of the door.

The door closes with a soft tap behind her and she sees that there are four stalls, the last stall reserved for handicapped, closed. The other three are empty and she quickly enters the first one after visually inspecting the toilet seat for debris. Her mother had always taught her never to go into the second stall, because statistics show that most people tend to gravitate toward the second one, worried that the first is overused. Selecting the third stall isn't an option either, because it isn't socially acceptable to take a stall next to one that's occupied if there are others available.

She's relieved to see that the first stall is clean and dry, so she hurries to lock the door and dances a little while she tries to unbutton her pants. She knows that when the urge to go hits, that she has limited time before the dam bursts. Unfortunately, her damn pants are forcing her to play a dangerous game with her pelvic muscles, and she begins to wonder if she'll end up having to do the walk of shame past her coworkers in wet pants.

"Damn it!" She hisses, dancing a little more.

She hears a small gasp come from the opposite end of the bathroom, where the last stall is occupied.

"Sorry." Her face colors in embarrassment, worried she might have offended an elderly lady with her foul mouth.

There is no response from the other end, just some shuffling. _Well, how rude._

Anastasia decides to mind her own business and ignore the person at the end, relieved to finally get her pants unbuttoned and down her legs.

She sits and as her muscles relax, she sighs. _Relief._ She mentally chastises herself for not being more vigilant with her Kegel exercises.

When she finally finishes and flushes, she hears the door to the last stall creek open. _Was there a flush?_

Confused, Anastasia opens her door and is met by the other occupant. The occupant is smiling, cold blue eyes twinkling with humor, but the person isn't elderly, nor even a lady.

Before she can open her mouth to scream, Jack Hyde covers her mouth and grabs her around the waist, twirling them around and shoves her against the wall, using his body to hold her there. Her breath leaves her as his body knocks into hers and she whimpers, trying to push him away from her, worried about her stomach.

He's pressing too hard against her abdomen.

She'll kill him herself if anything happens to the beautiful baby growing inside of her. Christian won't even have a chance to get his hands around the bastard's neck. His body would be cold and rigid before Christian even tries.

"Oh, am I smothering you? So sorry." Jack's not sorry; his voice is dripping with cold sarcasm. Still, he relieves the pressure against her swollen stomach, giving her a little relief. His hand does not move from her mouth.

"Stop fighting. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here for a chat." His voice is just above a whisper.

Her eyebrows knit together. She's confused. _A chat? What the hell does that mean?_

Against her better judgement, her arms rest at her sides, deciding to hear what he has to say. If he begins to trust she won't scream, he'll let her mouth go and if he tries anything, she'll be able to scream. _She has to get him to believe she's cool, calm, and collected._

"You going to play nice?" Jack asks, looking her over for any signs of distrust.

Anastasia nods her head.

"You aren't going to scream?"

She shakes her head.

Jack pulls out a small pocket knife, making her whimper against his hand. "Don't worry. I'm not going to use it, unless you change your mind and decide to become vocal. If I let go of your mouth and you yell, I'm going to drive this knife right into your gut, do you understand? I will make sure to kill that disgusting little fetus inside of your body."

Her body shivers at his words.

"I'm going to let go of your mouth so we can chat quickly before those assholes in coats come looking for you. Don't do anything stupid."

She nods her head, agreeing.

Jack lets go of Anastasia's mouth and she lets in a lungful of fresh air through her mouth, trying to calm her nerves. _She can do this. She can humor him for a few minutes._

"Good girl. Now, I'm going to make this quick. I need you to get my one-hundred grand in cash by Saturday morning."

She scoffs. "Why would I do that?"

"Because if your don't, they'll break my neck… but I fucking promise you I'll break yours first."

 _They? Who the fuck is they?_ "I don't have that kind of money, Jack. You've come to the wrong person."

Jack spits next to her foot. A warning. Next time, she's sure it'll be her face. "I'm not fucking stupid. You've got Grey wrapped around your finger. Get the money from him."

"So, you want me to tell him…"

"NO. No one… and I mean NO ONE can know about this chat. You can't warn him, you can't warn your suited baboons. If you alert anyone, I'll know. Grey might be able to spare your life, but I promise that devastation you experience afterward will be catastrophic. It'd be such a misfortune if their Grammy and Grampy couldn't be around to watch them grow up."

Anastasia gasps. "You wouldn't!"

Jack's lips curl up into a perverse grin, making her stomach sour immediately. "Oh, but darling, I would. It only takes one phone call, one button, and both of your parents wouldn't have one shred of light left in their eyes."

"But...but he's going to ask questions if I ask for that kind of money." Her voice is quivering and her arms are shaking. She so wishes that she can look more composed in front of the man, but in reality, she's unnerved. She hates that Jack intimidates her so much, but now that she knows he's killed a woman, he's on a different level. She knows that there isn't a chance that he could be crying wolf. He'd kill everyone she loves without blinking an eye. His cold, blue eyes are void of deceit. He's being completely truthful and that sickening grin on his face is practically begging her to try to prove him wrong.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. You're a smart woman."

The compliment means nothing to her. If she was intelligent, she would have known better than to rile him up during their first meeting. The hate in his eyes was so evident, yet, she couldn't stop herself. Back then, she was completely ignorant to his sadism. If she made it through this...if her family made it through this… she would never make that mistake again. She needs to examine the way she interacts with strangers...especially at work. Christian said he'd protect her through anything...but this. This, he can't protect her. If she would go to him with this, there wouldn't be time to save her parents.

There's a knock on the door, pulling Anastasia from her thoughts.

"Everything alright in there, Ana?" Sawyer's deep voice comes through the door. She winces, wishing she wouldn't have admonished him for opening the door earlier. She knows it's the reason why he isn't opening it now.

Jack gives her a hard look, placing a finger to his lips to remind her to keep quiet about the situation.

She nods. "Yes…" The answer comes out strangled and she clears her throat. "Yes, Sawyer. I'm just washing my hands, now." Jack quickly steps away from her so she can turn the water on, making her story more realistic.

"Good girl." He whispers into her ear. "Remember… not a word." He backs up to the last stall and disappears into it, hiding himself from any glimpse that Sawyer might get of him.

Even though Anastasia knows that Jack's still in the same room as her, she can't help, but feel a little relief when he disappears from sight. Her shoulders finally relax and she takes a few deep breaths before carrying herself to the exit. Her legs feel like jelly and she silently begs herself to be strong and hide it the best she can. _Her parent's lives depend on it._

As soon as she sees Sawyer's handsome face, she wants to fling herself into his arms and sob into his pressed jacket, telling him who's hiding in the handicapped stall just a few feet away. She knows she can't, but Sawyer notices immediately that something is wrong.

"Are you alright?"

After a beat, she nods. "Yes, I just...I had a little bit of morning sickness and still a bit woozy from it."

Sawyer eyes her for a second, forcing her to give a reassuring smile. _Please don't make this any worse._

He seems satisfied for the moment with her excuse and he escorts her back to the table, where their food is sitting in front of them.

 _Just concentrate on your food, Ana. You can do this. You'll be home soon._

Christian gives her a soft smile and stands to help push her seat in for her.

"Thank you." Her voice is still shaky and it causes Christian to stop in his tracks.

"Ana? What's wrong."

She shakes her head, trying to dismiss his worry. "I'm okay. I just had a woozy stomach in the ladies room. Still trying to shake it off."

He takes a seat next to her and places a hand on her knee before he digs into his meal. "I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with morning sickness."

His apology makes her laugh. It's cathartic. It feels good after such a heavy few minutes. "It isn't your fault."

He gives a little pout as he brings his fork up to his lips. "It's my baby."

"It's mine, too. You heard the doctor. She said that it's healthy to be a little sick. It means that the baby has a good amount of hormones. That's a good thing."

Christian gives a small nod and wipes his mouth on his napkin. "I suppose you're right."

"Always." She reminds him, elbowing him lightly in the side.

Picking up her fork, her stomach churns. There's no way she'll be able to eat this. She'll have to run to the washroom to throw it back up and there is absolutely no way she's going back to that room. She isn't going to chance that he hasn't disappeared, yet. She doesn't want to be stuck with such a sadistic man again.

Instead, she pushes her food around with her fork.

Christian keeps an eye on her plate and sees that she isn't eating.

"Ana?"

She sighs. There's no way she can do this. "Christian, I'm really not feeling good. Do you think we can pack this up and go? I just want to go home."

He straightens, looking for the waiter immediately. The rawness of Anastasia's voice worries him. "Of course, baby. We'll go."

Anastasia apologizes to her coworkers, blaming her morning sickness for their early departure. None seem to mind, stating that they understand. She's relieved. She wants to have a healthy work relationship with her coworkers. She knows she can't be a hermit anymore.

XxXxXx

"To Ms. Steele's, Sawyer." Christian states, once they're in the car.

"No!" Anastasia finds herself yelling a little too loud at his order. It makes Sawyer startle. "Let's go to your apartment." She'll feel safer there. She needs to feel safe tonight if she's going to try to get a wink of sleep. Still, she isn't sure she will.

"Sawyer, you heard her." Christian turns toward her in the car. "What's going on with you? You're acting so odd."

"I…" _What the hell is she going to say?_ "I just don't feel good and your bed always makes me feel better." That isn't a lie. She loves being surrounded by the smell of her best friend when she's down.

A small smile forms on Christian's face. He loves that he can affect her that much, that she needs him and depends on him even though sometimes she doesn't want to. "Just move in then, baby."

"Not the time, Grey." She rests her head against his shoulder and takes his hand. "Just hold me and keep your mouth shut."

"Damn. Savage woman." He chuckles at her bluntness and slips an arm around her, pressing his lips to the top of her head.


	24. Chapter 24

Anastasia doesn't know what to do or how do to do it. It's been a few days since her run-in with Hyde and their encounter has been playing on constant repeat since that evening. A part of her wonders if she would have told Sawyer who was in the stall, everything would have gone away, but she knows that it's too good to be true. It's obvious that Jack is working with others. She knows that there is a good chance that he alerted them before he spoke to her and that no response from him would mean giving the go ahead to kill her parents. She couldn't risk it. She'd never forgive herself if something happened to her parents just because she took the cowards way out.

She also knows that she hasn't been acting like herself, but she's trying her hardest. Christian has been quizzing her all week over it and she keeps telling him that the pregnancy is making her feel off… that her stomach is extremely woozy. The excuse has worried Christian though and twice, she's had to talk him out of taking her to the ED. _She's got to get her shit together or come up with a better excuse._

She's thought long and hard about how to get the money from Christian. She has the fifty-thousand sitting in her savings, so at least the amount she has to ask him for is only half the amount Jack wants. She hates to lie to Christian and she hates to bring her parents into this, but this is the only way.

Deciding that this is the only way to convince Christian to give her the money without him asking too many questions, she decides she's going to tell him that her parents are in financial trouble. If she tells him that they're at risk for losing the house, then she knows he'll give her the money. Her parents are like family to him and he'd never want anything bad to happen to them.

It makes her heart ache knowing that she's not only going to lie, but play on his heart strings on top of it.

 _What if Christian calls them himself?_

That would be devastating if he took it upon himself to call them. She needs to come up with a reason why he can't call them or wire the money to them himself.

Deciding that waiting until Friday to talk to Christian gives her the best chance to get the money and give it to Hyde before he finds out, she stows her plan for the time being and decides to iron out the wrinkles while she lies in bed later.

"Ana, are you sure you don't want to stay at mine, tonight?" Christian is on the phone while she sits on her couch, mulling Monday over once again.

"I'm really tired, Christian. I haven't been sleeping the best since I've been sick. I'm just going to drink some tea and go to bed early. I'll see you tomorrow, beau." She needs time alone tonight to get her story straight.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. If you need anything, please call me."

"I will, Christian."

"I mean it, Ana. Anything at all. Even in the middle of the night."

His comment makes her grin. "I know you do. I'll be okay, Christian, but I promise to call you if I need anything."

After they hang up, her small grin pulls down into a frown. Christian is such a sweet, genuine soul and she has to lie and manipulate him into giving her his hard-earned money. It makes her feel like a piece of trash. She doesn't deserve him.

Anastasia sighs.

She needs to remember that she's doing this to save her family. She isn't keeping the money for herself. It's for a good cause. It's going to keep her family safe and alive. _What if he comes back for more?_

She can't bear to think about that right now. She has to hope that this money will be enough for the bastard to leave them alone. Hopefully, after he has the money, she can go to the police over the ordeal and have him taken into custody without her parents being hurt.

XxXxXx

"Christian?" Anastasia stands at the entrance to his office. It's Friday afternoon and she knows the time has come to lie through her teeth. _You're doing this for your family. Just remember. For your family._ She continues to run this through her head, hoping that her disgust for herself will not show on her face. She's never felt so guilty in all her life. She's taking advantage of her best friend and his money. She always swore she'd never do either, but this is a special circumstance. There isn't anything sinister about this… at least on her end. She's doing this for the good of her parents.

Christian looks up and smiles when he sees his girl standing at the door. "Hey, baby. Come on in."

Giving him a forced smile, Anastasia slips into the room and shuts the door behind her before making her way toward his desk. As she sits, she tucks a tendril of hair behind her ear- a nervous tick- and Christian notices.

"What's wrong, Ana? Why are you so anxious?"

She wets her lips and clears her throat. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Did I do something wrong?" Christian is worried. He can't think of anything that she could be angry about.

Quickly, Anastasia shakes her head. "No, nothing like that. It's my parents… well, kind of."

"Has something happened? Are they hurt? Sick?" Christian reaches for the phone and Anastasia hurries to cover his hand with hers, keeping him from picking up the receiver.

"No, nothing like that. You know how Dad has been having a dry spell with clients at work… well, Mom called me and said they were in some trouble with the house. She said if Daddy ever found out, he'd be so angry with her…" It rushes out her mouth in one breath.

"Woah, woah. Slow down." Christian makes the time out sign with his hand, begging her to take a breath. "What's happening with the house?"

She looks down. She can't look him in the eye while she lies. "Mom said that it's in foreclosure. Unless they can pay off the house, they're going to lose it. She doesn't want Dad to know that she called me. He's too prideful."

Christian frowns. "Won't he know when the foreclosure is no longer an issue?"

"She's taking it one step at a time. She's trying everything she can to save the house, then she'll deal with Dad."

"Why didn't she call me? She's practically a second mother to me." Christian is hurt that Carla didn't come to him first.

"I think in her mind, if she told you, you'd tell him. I guess she thinks you're more likely to keep quiet if I tell you myself." _Please. Just offer to pay and be done, Grey._

Christian frowns, trying to swallow back his hurt. "You know I'll help in any way I can, love. Just give me their account number and amount and I'll do it right now."

"You can't wire it to their account. Dad will get a text message as soon as you do."

Christian sighs. "What do I need to do?" He doesn't like all this secrecy. It feels wrong to do this under Ray's nose. He's a good man and Christian doesn't want him to feel betrayed by his own family. Christian can't bear the thought of the Steele's losing their house, though. He needs to protect them and keep them in their family home. It's only right. He knows he'll have to kiss Ray's ass for awhile after this, but their safety and security is number one priority right now.

"Fifty grand. Move it to my account. I'll pay it off." Anastasia's heart is beating so hard against her chest, she can hear it in her ears. _This was so easy._ She knew that Christian would agree, but she thought she would have to come up with more of an explanation.

Her stomach sours.

He trusts her so much, he doesn't feel the need to ask questions. _She's a deplorable human being._

Christian is silent for a few seconds, staring at Anastasia. She looks so ashamed of herself. _She shouldn't be._ "Ana, look at me."

Anastasia's head shoots up to look him in the eye and she realizes there are tears in her eyes. One falls, and she wipes it away quickly and sniffles.

"Hey… there is no reason to be so upset. You shouldn't be ashamed of asking for help. Everyone needs help now and then. This will all be over soon and everything will go back to normal." He knows that this pregnancy has her more emotional and her parents issues should be the least of her worries.

She nods and rubs her eyes, letting out a light laugh. "Yes, I suppose so. Thank you for the help." Like he said, everything will be over soon and everything will be back to normal soon. _Hopefully._

"You're very welcome. I'll have Andrea move the funds right now."

XxXxXx

Anastasia couldn't say no to staying at Christian's this time. He's done so much and trusted her even though she's been lying right to his face. She couldn't deny him and she didn't want to. She wanted the security of being wrapped in his arms for the night. She didn't know how the next day was going to go and did her best to savor every second with him.

When Saturday morning rolls around, Christian isn't as easy going as he was the day before.

"Just let me go with you!" Christian doesn't understand why Anastasia wants to go to the bank by herself.

"There's no need, Christian. You've done so much already. It'll only take a few minutes. It's just down the street. You just relax and I'll be back soon."

"Why won't you let me go?"

"Because you're overworked… and, well, I was hoping to come home to my naked boyfriend warming up the bed for me." She wiggles her eyebrows a little and leans against him, using her sexuality to her advantage.

He groans at the thought of what's to come. "Yea?"

She hums. "Oh, yea. I'll hurry and be back before you know it."

Christian sighs, giving in. "Fine."

 _She won._ Grinning, she grabs her handbag… her largest to carry the money in… and heads toward the elevator.

"Sawyer is waiting in the garage for you."

 _SHIT!_

"Okay." She tries to act normal as she makes her way into the elevator. Once she enters the code, instead of selecting the parking garage, she hits the 'L' button, that goes to the lobby. "Taxi it is." She mumbles to herself. She hopes that she can get to the bank before Sawyer calls to ask if she's coming down.

It only takes her a quick minute to grab a taxi and another two before he's pulling up to the bank. She hasn't gotten a call or text from Sawyer or Christian, so she's hoping she's still in the clear. She knows it's going to take them a few minutes to get the money together and she'll be holding her breath the whole time she waits for it.

Anastasia called the bank last evening to verify that they had the funds in their vault and to give them a heads up that she would be coming to withdraw such a large amount.

As she walks in, she knows that she'll draw too much attention to herself if she goes to the teller line, asking for such a large sum of money. Instead, she stops at the concierge desk and asks the young redhead to see the Assistant Manager, Danna Solano.

"May I ask your name, Miss?"

"My name is Anastasia Steele."

The redhead's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Evidently, Danna Solano mentioned Anastasia's name.

"I'll get the assistant manager for you. Just have a seat in the waiting area, please, and she'll be right with you."

Anastasia gives her a nod and turns to find a seat. As she sits, she watches the young girl and sees her murmuring into the phone. She hopes that they don't find this withdraw too suspicious. Last night, all she had to do was mention Christian's name and Ms. Solano went from asking questions to becoming quite chipper, mentioning how wonderful it is to do business with Mr. Grey's company. _Of course it is._ Grey House practically brings in trucks full of cash every week.

She sits in the waiting room, her ankles crossed, her feet bouncing impatiently. From the back, she sees a woman step out of her office and give her a smile. It's a beautiful latina with her hair up in bun, light makeup, and a two piece suit-skirt. She screams professionalism and Anastasia hopes that it doesn't mean she'll have to jump through hoops and sign a bunch of legal paperwork before getting the cash.

Standing, Anastasia meets Ms. Solano halfway and shakes her hand.

"Ah, Ms. Steele, nice to meet you. Please, follow me. Right this way."

The Assistant Manager has a seat at her desk and Anastasia sits across from her.

"Is there anything I can get you? Some refreshments?"

She shakes her head. "No, thank you, Ms. Solano. I'm alright."

"Please, call me Danna."

Anastasia smiles. "Call me Ana."

"Thank you, Ana. Now," Danna pulls some paperwork from a manilla folder and places it in front of her. "You're wanting to withdraw one-hundred thousand from your savings, is that correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. As I explained last night, there is a Porsche I have my eye on for Christian, and since I don't have a credit card that has that sort of limit, the dealer wouldn't allow anything, but cash."

Danna shakes her head and rolls her eyes, obviously annoyed with the fictitious dealer Anastasia made up. "Car salesmen...I swear… it doesn't matter how luxurious the brand. They're all the same. He should know the Grey name well enough to know you're good for your word."

Anastasia gives her a small grin. "You would think."

Danna's grin matches hers. "Congratulations, by the way, on the new baby." Her eyes glance down at Anastasia's stomach. "I think it's sweet that you're buying him a daddy gift. So many people spoil the pregnant mommy, but most don't think about the daddy." Anastasia had lied and said that it was a surprise for Christian as a congratulation gift for becoming a daddy.

"Thank you, we are so excited for this little one to come." Anastasia pats her stomach affectionately. _Please hurry up._

"Now, I just have a couple of things I need you to sign. This first one, we have to have everyone who takes out more than ten grand out at one time sign, just as a promise that it's not going toward any money laundering or anything illegal and then we'll have to have you sign for the withdraw out of your account. We've already pre-counted the money; it's sitting in a safe box until I go get it."

 _That's it?_

Anastasia is relieved. Her smile widens and she nods. "Sounds great."

She places her large handbag on the desk and takes out her wallet. She selected her largest one, hoping it'd be big enough to hold all the money. "You can put the money in this handbag here."

Anastasia's phone vibrates, but she ignores it. _Oh, shit. Not now, Christian!_ She's been caught.

As she's signing the paperwork quickly, Danna's phone rings and she answers.

"Danna Solano's office…Oh, hello, Mr. Grey!" Anastasia cringes at her words. "Yes, she's here. We're almost done. Yes, you can talk to her."

Handing Anastasia the phone, she shrugs. "Sorry. I hope this doesn't ruin the surprise!"

"Hello?"

"What the hell, Ana?! Why. Why would you-"

"Calm down, Christian. I just wanted to go by myself. I didn't need Sawyer. This is family business and I want to keep it that way. Like Ms. Solano said, we're almost done. I'll be home in a few."

"Why do you defy me? You make everything so hard."

Rolling her eyes, Anastasia sighs. "Because I'm an adult and I'll do as I please. I know you're angry I didn't take security, but I know you love me enough to forgive me."

Christian is silent for a minute and she can practically see the small grin forming on his lips. "Yes, I love you more than anything, Ana."

"And I love you. I'll see you soon, babe."

"We're still going to talk about this."

"Oh, I have no doubt, Grey."

Anastasia hands Danna the phone and watches her hang it up. _She did it._ She can't believe she diffused the situation so calmly.

 _So close._

"Alright, give us a couple minutes and we'll get you out of here quickly so you can buy that car."

Nodding, Anastasia agrees. "Yes, that'd be lovely."

While she waits, her phone vibrates again. Looking down, it's a number she doesn't recognise, but she knows she has to answer.

Putting the receiver to her ear, he begins to talk.

"I see you've done as requested."

"What now?"

"The underpass at 5th and Bentley. I don't want to see any phone calls being made and I don't want anyone to follow. You'll walk out of the bank, drop your phone in the trash can outside of the front entrance and get into your car. There is surveillance on the place, so don't try anything stupid. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." She mouths into the phone, trying not to grind her teeth.

"That mouth…"

Anastasia hangs up on the asshole. She doesn't want to hear anymore.

She takes a few deep breaths and tries to control her shaking hands before Danna comes back. "You can do this, Steele. You got this. Quick and painless."

The door of the office opens, startling Anastasia, but when she turns, she's happy to see her handbag full.

"Alright, Ms. Steele, I think we're all set. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

 _Actually.._

"Yes. May I borrow your cell phone?"

Danna looks taken aback. "My cell phone?"

Nodding, Anastasia tries to come up with a plan. "I'll give it back to you, I just don't want Christian to see the number of the Porsche place pop up on mine. You'll have it back in an hour or so."

Danna doesn't look convinced.

"Christian is so paranoid about people getting to me now that I'm pregnant with his child, he's constantly checking our phones and our emails. He thinks someone might try to kidnap me and I don't want him to find out about the present."

"A couple hours?" It's obvious that Danna does not want to give it up, but she knows she shouldn't upset the significant other of a VIP customer.

Anastasia nods. "Tops. I'll have it back to you. You can even keep it locked. I just need to be able to dial a number on emergency mode." _Just do it._

"Alright. I suppose I can do that." She hands Anastasia the bag and the phone and Anastasia drops her own cell phone in the bag and keeps hold of Danna's in her hand.

"I look forward to doing more business with you in the future, Danna. Thank you for making this such a quick process."

"Likewise. I'll be seeing you soon. Enjoy your day."

Anastasia's legs feel like gelatin as she makes her way out. It takes all her energy and concentration to put one foot in front of the other and walk out like nothing has happened.

As the cold air hits her face, she takes a deep breath and looks around. There are a lot of people on the street and any one of them could be working with Hyde. She can feel herself being watched and it gives her goosebumps.

Her hand tightens around the phone until her knuckles go white and she can feel the sweat her palms have created against the phone. She's hoping that whoever is watching won't come looking in the trashcan to make sure it's really hers.

Clearing her throat, she tries to walk nonchalantly down the stairs of the bank and tosses the sweaty phone into the trash. _Please let this work._ If she's gone too long, she's hoping Christian will track her GPS and find her before Hyde can hurt her too badly.

 _You got this, Steele. You can do this. Quick and easy._


	25. Chapter 25

Livid.

That's an understatement.

Furious. Indignant. Irate. Ferocious. Other synonyms for the word, but none do justice to the crushing liquid heat that's surrounding his chest.

Twenty minutes.

That was how long it has been since Sawyer called him, asking when Ms. Steele was coming down. She had stepped into the elevator a full ten minutes before then. Sawyer immediately spoke to the front desk and confirmed with the building security system that she had hailed her own cab to the bank. _Why in the hell would she need a cab?_ She has a perfectly safe ride of her own.

Christian was so flustered and so angry when he found out that he did something he'd never had to do in his life. Something he hoped he'd never have to do. He tracked her phone.

When the computer showed that she was at the bank, he felt a small wave of relief run through him. Just a small relief...tiny really. Microscopic at best. She had made it there safely in a car driven by someone she didn't know. It could have been anyone. They could have taken her anywhere…

But they didn't.

 _Try to stay in control, Grey._

He can't wrap his head around why she'd feel so inclined to go by herself. _What is she hiding?_ She's never hidden anything from him before. They have both been open books since the day they met. No secrets… _that he knows of._

He calls his psychiatrist, but has to leave a message. He's always had issues with control over his emotions, over the safety of others, of life itself… but this is pushing him too far. He's feeling his control cracking more and more the longer the heated pressure on his chest continues to crush him. He knows he has to find a way to calm down before she comes back. He cannot lose his temper while she's carrying his child. Bickering back and forth is one thing, but this… this is far more than just their normal bickering.

What the _fuck_ is he going to do?

She's not a stupid woman. She knows how important safety is right now. Especially with that Hyde fucker running amuck. All he wants to do is keep her safe. _He can't live without her._ Can't she see that? If something were to happen to her or their child, it would ruin him. They'd have to bury him with her. He couldn't go on. He just couldn't.

The phone rings, startling Christian. Blinking, he realizes that he's begun to cry and he wipes away his tears and takes a deep, cleansing breath to calm his shaky breathing.

Glancing at the phone, his stomach twists. _Ray Steele._ Ray must have found out about the money.

 _Man up, Christian._ He's a part of this and he has to take the heat now.

He answers the phone, tries to answer, but nothing comes out. Clearing his throat, he tries again, but Ray interrupts.

"Christian?"

"Yes, Ray, sorry. It's me. Listen, before you start, I just want you to know that Ana had come to me in tears and I just can't say no to her. I did what is best for your family. _My family._ You're family, Ray, and I always take care of what's mine."

"Woah, wait, what?"

Christian grimaces.

"Christian, what are you talking about?"

 _He just outed himself._ Ray doesn't know, yet.

"Shit." He mutters to himself.

"Christian, tell me what you mean by all that. Is something wrong? What happened? Is Annie okay?"

He knows he has to tell Ray.

"Ana is fine. She just came to me the other day saying you two were going to lose your house if you didn't pay it off. She was so worried you'd lose everything, so she asked for the money to pay for the house so it didn't get foreclosed on."

"My Annie said that?" Ray is in disbelief. "Christian… our house has been paid off for over a year."

Christian's heart drops into his stomach. _She lied to him?_ Surely not. _Ana?_

"She said that Carla called her and told her."

"Carla? Carla would have never said such a thing."

Christian scratches the stubble on his chin, bewildered by the situation. "Is there any reason that Carla would have made that up?"

"Are you saying Carla lied to our daughter?"

"I don't know what I'm saying, Ray. Either, your wife lied to your daughter to get money for some reason or your daughter lied to me to con me out of money."

"Damn you, Christian." Ray curses, but Christian knows it's only because he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. _His wife or his daughter._ "Hold on, Christian. CARLA!"

While Ray speaks with Carla out of earshot, Christian decides to pull up her phone GPS again. _Just in case._

"Christian...Christian!" Carla's voice comes over the phone while he waits for it to load.

"I'm here, Carla."

"Christian! I never spoke to Ana about money. In fact, I hadn't spoken with her all week! Do you think...oh, god. Do you think she's in trouble?" Darla's voice is panicked, causing Christian's heart to beat hard enough to rattle his ribcage.

His eyes focus on the computer screen and her GPS has pinged. _Headed out of the city._

 _Where the fuck is she going?_

"TAYLOR!"

XxXxXx

It didn't take but a minute to get down to the SUV with Taylor manning the wheel. Christian jumps in the passenger's side, his heart beating hard against his ribcage. It's causing his chest to ache painfully, but he doesn't even try to calm his heart rate. There's no point. Something bad has happened. _He can feel it._

This time, he tracks her GPS on his phone and they follow the GPS until it shows she's pulled off onto a dirt road.

Instead of continuing, Taylor parks the black SUV just off the side of the road and turns off the engine.

Christian gives him with an incredulous look, wondering why the fuck Taylor's stopped now.

"From here, we walk. Quietly." If Taylor's feelings are right, plowing in at full speed with dust flying behind them will only get Anastasia killed.

They begin their slow jog down the dirt road, crouching from one overgrown bush to another, keeping an eye out for any movement. If they are caught, there'd be hell to pay.

Their footsteps slow by the time they get to the underpass and they can hear voices. One is undeniably Anastasia's, but the other makes Christian's stomach heave. _Hyde._

They come closer, still, until they come around the corner and get a glimpse of Anastasia and Jack. There is shuffling behind them, causing Taylor to grab Christian by his shirt color and yank him to the side, out of eyesight. Squatting behind a slab on concrete that used to hold the old bridge, they peek out from the corner and see a tall, thin male come sashaying down the dirt road. He's got on dark sunglasses and has the face of a meth addict. The divets in his face from picking are so deep that as it begins to sprinkle, the drops of water slow at the scars.

It's both a disgusting and devastating sight to see. His drug habit has eaten the unknown man away. Christian would feel more empathy for the man if the fucker weren't about to mosey on up to Anastasia and Hyde with sinister intentions. He's working with Hyde and it makes Christian want to tackle the junkie from behind.

Christian grips the edge of the concrete slab until the porous stone scratches his sensitive fingertips, hoping not to jump the gun. It'll only put Anastasia's life in more danger.

XxXxXx

Anastasia stands in front of Hyde, the bag sitting on the dirt beside him. Inside, she's a nervous wreck, but she does the best she can to keep her hands still and her voice steady.

"It's all there, Jack. It's over now." There's finality in her voice, but not as much as she'd like.

He laughs. "Your bravery is wavering, my dear. You're nervous. Did you disobey my orders? Did you crumble and tell someone where you were going?" The handgun he's holding at his side comes up and he's scratches at the stubble on his chin. _Taunting her._

She shakes her head, her eyes plastered to his gun. "I've told no one."

"How can we be so sure? Tell me. Why should I take your word?"

"Because there are lives at stake." Without realizing, Anastasia's hand comes up to rest on her bump, but her mind catches up and she pretends to scratch her neck instead. There is no reason to bring attention to her growing stomach. Her bravery would waver even more if he began threatening her child's life.

Hyde nods at someone behind her and she takes a quick peek over her shoulder to see a skeleton of a man walking toward them in a dirty green shirt, ripped carpenter jeans, and brown steel-toed boots with the toe worn so much the dirty metal is showing.

"No one, J. Where's the money?" When the man speaks, Anastasia notices that half of his teeth have rotten out of his mouth from his drug addiction.

"Don't worry about the god-damned money right now. You sure? No one followed?"

"I'm sure." The man scratches at the inside of his arms while he chews on the inside of his cheek. He's either needing a high or nervous, she can't tell which.

Turning her head back to Hyde, she finds him staring her down. "If no one followed her, then no one will come yelling when I do _this._ " The butt of his gun hits her hard in the temple causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground on her hands and knees.

"Or this."

This time she knows the blow is coming and her arms wrap around her stomach before he kicks her in the abdomen, hitting her arms instead. Still, she falls to the side, holding her stomach, praying he won't do it again.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Before she can move, before she can comprehend whose voice is screaming, she's yanked off the ground by her hair and is pulled against Hyde, her back to him, his arm around her ribcage, her arms pinned against her sides. Squinting through her throbbing headache, she sees Christian running towards them and something cold is pressed against her sore, bleeding temple. _The gun._

"Stop." Hyde barks at Christian. It's not loud, but the warning is enough for Christian to stop in his tracks and put his hands in front of him in surrender.

The junkie starts for Christian, running at him, but it only takes one blow of Christian's fist before he's on the ground. The man can't weigh more than 130 lbs. He's wasted away to skin and bone and has no strength to be fighting anyone. His habit makes him brave. Unfortunately, his bravery makes him stupid and his stupidity makes him braver.

"Stupid cocksucker..." Hyde murmurs, staring at the sorry son-of-a-bitch laying on the ground bleeding before turning his attention to Anastasia. "You lied to me, girl..."

Anastasia shakes her head. "No. No. I didn't tell him. I swear! I didn't tell a soul! I don't know how-"

"Shut up, bitch." He growls in her ear as he presses the gun into her throbbing temple, making her whimper. "You're a fucking liar. I should finish you right here."

"No, don't! Please! Don't hurt her!" Christian has taken a couple steps forward while Hyde was preoccupied with Anastasia and he's now just twelve feet away. _So close._ As the wind picks up, it catches Christian's scent and the scent washes over Anastasia like a dose of Ativan. It calms her through her pain. _He's here._ He's close. Even if this is it for her, he'll be the last sight she sees.

"Take another fucking step and I'll blow both your brains out!" Hyde now turns the gun toward Christian and Anastasia takes the chance to try to wiggle free. She tries to elbow the fucker in the stomach, but they're too close for her to get any momentum. It just makes Hyde laugh.

"Nice try, sweetheart. You're going nowhere." He squeezes her tighter against him and a rush of air escapes her mouth from the weight pressing against her ribcage. Unable to open her lungs completely and a little winded from trying to wiggle free, it causes her to pant. Short, shallow breaths rush in and out between her dry lips and she hopes it doesn't cause her to become dizzy. Her head is already fuzzy from her pounding headache and she doesn't think she can take much more. The last thing she wants is to pass out in front of Christian.

"Let her go and take me instead. I'm the one you want. I can give you however much money you want. You'll be set and we can both go our separate ways. We can forget all about this." Christian attempts to persuade Hyde to let her go. The side of her face is streaked with blood and her hair is matted with it, sticking to her bleeding temple. Her opposite cheek and her nose are smudged with dirt and he can see her chest heaving from her ragged breathing. All he wants is to get her away from the fucker. If he has to die, then he will, but she can't. She _has_ to get away.

"You think it's that easy?" Jack asks Christian. "You think I'm fucking stupid enough to let you both go and we'd all forget about this? You're a liar. You'd have someone coming after me as soon as you're out of my eyesight. I-That's enough, bitch!" While he is speaking to Christian, Anastasia tries to stomp on his foot and kick him in the shin, but fails to get anything more than a tap in. He presses the gun to the side of her stomach. "I found you fighting entertaining before, but it's fucking annoying now. You keep it up and I'll find something else to entertain me. Shooting you in the stomach just so," He presses the gun into the stomach and pivots it outward, "will kill your baby, but keep you alive so you have to go through the pain of mourning your one chance at creating life. That would be oh-so-entertaining."

"NO! No, please! I'll stop! Don't. Don't hurt our baby." Tears swim in Anastasia's eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. She doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Begging is enough.

"Just take me, Jack. You don't need her. I've got the money." Christian tries again, shifting forward a little more. "Please. This is your last chance."

"Last chance? Are you threatening me, pretty boy?" As he questions Christian, the muzzle of a Glock gets pressed against the back of Hyde's head.

"Seattle PD. Let the hostage go and drop the gun." The voice behind Anastasia and Jack surprises them both causing her to jump, making the gun on her side dig into her ribs. She winces, but before she can make a sound, the gun moves away from her abdomen and back to her temple.

"Lower your weapon or I'll shoot." It's a warning to Hyde, but he doesn't move.

"You shoot, I shoot. Think you can kill me before I pull the trigger?"

"Lower your weapon, Mr. Hyde. You'll already be charged for the threatening and the kidnapping. There's no need to add a murder charge onto it, too. We can talk this over, make a deal with you. You won't spend much time in prison if you just let her go and put down the gun."

Christian takes a few more steps forward, trying his hardest to get to Anastasia. He just wants to knock the gun away and rip her out of Hyde's arm. After a couple steps, Hyde gives Christian a warning glare when he sees what he's up to.

"You stay right there, pretty boy. Don't do anything stupid."

"The same goes for you, too, Mr. Hyde. Put the gun down." The police officer tries again to convince him. "Don't be stupid now."

Jack Hyde gives a sardonic laugh. "You think that all of my problems will go away with a little bit of jail time? Why the fuck do you think I need the money?! I do what I fucking have to do to keep my body out of the water. I give up now and I'll be sleeping with the fishes as soon as I'm out...if I even make it that long."

"Who is that Mr. Hyde? We can help you with that, too. Whatever trouble you may be in, we can help. With your cooperation, we can get the right men taken into custody and your charges dismissed."

Hyde shakes his head, disbelieving. "You don't get it. It'll never be over. I'm going to die either way. I'll be damned if I'm going to spend the last of my life locked up. If I'm going down, I might as well take this little bitch and her bastard child with me."

Anastasia feels the added pressure of the muzzle against her temple as he squeezes the trigger and she begins to shake. She knows that this is it.

"No!" Christian runs, flying toward Anastasia, but the sound of a gun muffles his scream and deafens everyone in the vicinity as Anastasia and Jack drop to the ground, his weight on hers.

"No, Ana, baby, no…" He sobs out as he drops to his knees, pushing Hyde's body off of hers. "God, please, no…" It takes a few pushes and tugs, but he manages to roll his body away. "Ana! Ana, please!" looking down at her bloody face, he pushes her blood soaked hair off of her face. "Baby, look at me. You've got to open your eyes. Please… You can't! You just can't. Look at me! Wake up!" His head drops to her chest as he sobs.

"Christian!" Taylor squats down beside him, trying to get his attention.

"Just go!" Christian refuses to move, trying to take in the feel of her one last time. "Ana… my Ana…" His whole world is laying broken and bloody on the ground.

 _It isn't fair._ They haven't had enough time together.


	26. Chapter 26

**Authors Note: The nurse Jacob is inspired by a nurse I've worked with in the ER. He's a very humble, sweet nurse and one that many patients have raved about, so I thought he deserved a place in this story.**

 _"No, Ana, baby, no…" He sobs out as he drops to his knees, pushing Hyde's body off of hers. "God, please, no…" It takes a few pushes and tugs, but he manages to roll his body away. "Ana! Ana, please!" looking down at her bloody face, he pushes her blood soaked hair off of her face. "Baby, look at me. You've got to open your eyes. Please… You can't! You just can't. Look at me! Wake up!" His head drops to her chest as he sobs._

 _"Christian!" Taylor squats down beside him, trying to get his attention._

 _"Just go!" Christian refuses to move, trying to take in the feel of her one last time. "Ana… my Ana…"_

Christian just wants to curl up in the dirt next to her body and go with her. He can feel Taylor shaking him, but he doesn't bother to move.

"Christian! Christian, will you listen to me?! She has a pulse!"

"Wha-what?!" Christian's heart gives a jolt sending electricity through his body and down to his toes. Turning his head, his eyes finally clear enough to watch Taylor. Taylor's fingers are gripping her wrist and he has a small smile on his face. _She's alive._

Christian's hand runs down her arm and his fingers take Taylor's place on her pulse point. Pressing a little, he waits.

The rush of blood presses against his fingertips. It's faint, but it's there. His world that had shattered in a split second has rebuilt itself with just one woosh of her pulse. It's a second he'll never forget and a feeling that will always be remembered. The feel of her heartbeat against his fingertips will forever be the most precious touch in the world.

As reality slowly creeps back in, Christian notices multiple police at the scene, yellow police tape and evidence markers already being placed around the scene.

"This is Officer Keethler, we need a bus! We have a pulse!" Christian watches as a black female police officer squats down beside Christian and palpates the pulse on Anastasia's neck to double check.

Christian studies Anastasia's face. She looks peaceful, even though her face is blood-smeared and wet from the spitting rain. "We've got you, Ana." He runs his thumb over her blood-stained cheek. "Everything is going to be alright." Sitting back on his knees, he takes off his peacoat and drapes it over the trunk of her body, trying to keep her warm. "We'll take care of you."

Suddenly, a gun goes off, making the officer's pull their weapons and begin to search.

The sound causes Anastasia to startle awake, struggling to sit up. Her eyes are wide, her face contorted in pain and shock, and she immediately reaches for her head, feeling for something.

"You're okay, Ana. You weren't shot. You're okay."

Her eyes meet his and she shakes her head, not understanding. Her mouth tries to form the word 'but', but nothing comes out. She's in shock and her mind can't compute everything that is happening.

The few seconds of chaos settles down when one of the officers realize that the gunfire was from Hyde's gun. It had jammed and now misfired. The bullet is lodged in the concrete base of the overpass.

Officer Keethler squats back down, seeing Anastasia sitting up. "Hello, Anastasia. My name is Officer Keethler. I know you've been through a lot the last few minutes, but everything is going to be okay."

Anastasia reaches for her head again and the officer nods.

"He tried to shoot you, but the gun jammed. It's a miracle, really. You're going to be fine. We'll get your statement when you get to the hospital. You just try to relax for now."

Anastasia's eyes find Christian's again and her hand lowers from her head to her stomach. _The baby._ She can't form words, but she's hoping Christian understands.

"The baby. I'm sure the baby will be fine, love. We'll get both of you checked out at the hospital." Christian slides closer to her and pulls her into his arms, just needing to be close to her. He knows he should be angry at her for putting their baby and herself at danger, but there is a time and place for that and right now is not the time. Making sure they're alive and healthy is the number one priority.

As he holds her close to him, Anastasia can feel her stomach beginning to rumble. She pushes away from him as her stomach lurches and she gets sick on the ground next to them as she holds herself up on her hands and knees. Her stomach lurches over and over and by the time she's done, she's panting for breath. She has a headache that's making it hard for her to see straight, a neck ache so bad that it's hard for her to hold her own head up and a stomach ache to rival the pounding in her head.

Christian is there to catch her as she collapses back and he cradles her to him, wiping the sick off her chin with his handkerchief. She knows she should sit up, try to stand, but she can't find the energy for it. Instead, she finds her eyelids becoming heavy and she relaxes into his chest feeling safe enough to quit fighting unconsciousness. She lets herself slip away, praying that the pain will cease by the time she wakes.

Anastasia gets jostled to consciousness a few times getting placed on the stretcher, getting loaded into the ambulance, and then getting transferred from the EMS stretcher to the ED stretcher. Her headache is severe and she can't even manage to open her eyes when she's awoken. It only takes a few seconds for her to slip back out of consciousness, which is fine with her. She's drowsy and her head feels like it's been beat with a hammer... _or the butt of a gun..._

When she does finally wake and open her eyes, she finds herself in a room in the Emergency Department, Christian slowly pacing back and forth at the foot of her bed while Grace speaks to him in such hushed tones that she can't even understand what she's saying. Christian is obviously upset and on top of her pounding head and nauseated stomach, she can feel the guilt twist in her chest. _She did this._ This is all her fault.

Neither of them have noticed she's awake and a part of her wants to just shut her eyes and go back to sleep, or at least pretend to sleep a little longer so she doesn't have to face the consequences of her actions. She knows she deserves anything Christian says or does to her for pulling this. She lied to him, she stole from him, she put his child at danger. She's a terrible person. She did it to keep her parents safe and ended up hurting herself and possibly their child. They could have both been dead. _It would have killed Christian._

 _That baby is the only reason why God spared you._

The thought makes her feel even worse. If she wasn't carrying an innocent child, that gun wouldn't have jammed. She's almost sure of it. God gave their child a chance at life and she was saved in the process.

She's fucked up. She isn't even sure how bad, yet. She needs to move her achy muscles enough to hit her call light. She needs to know if the baby is okay. She doesn't even know if her parents are okay. _Has Christian called them? Are they safe?_

Turning her head, she winces, regretting the motion as soon as she does. Her head has such a painful heartbeat in it that it feels like her eyes are pulsating along with her heart. It's making it hard for her to focus on objects. Her neck is painfully tight and her back between her shoulder blades feels like there's a baseball shoved there.

Why is she so damn sore?

Christian's mother tries to console him, tries to whisper words of encouragement while his rage and worry simmer just below the surface. He's angry with Hyde, he's angry with Anastasia, he's devastated that she's hurt, that the baby could be hurt, that he didn't notice the signs that something had been wrong before now. She had been acting funny all week and he shrugged it off as hormones.

 _How fucking stupid could he be?_

Never again will he shrug something off. From now on, he'll know that something deeper is happening. _Why did this have to be the consequence?_

 _She did this to herself!_

An angry, dark piece of his soul shouts at him, causing him to wince. His heart aches at the words that run through his head.

 _She's a good girl. She made a mistake._

He loves her. She's been punished enough for this, hasn't she? She's broken and bloody already.

 _She lied. She's broken your trust. She manipulated you…_ used _you, because she knew she could._

"Stop." He mutters under his breath as his slow pacing speeds a little.

"Honey?" His mother reaches out for his arm, but he continues to pace, letting her hand slide down the length of it and drop back to her side.

 _You put her on a pedestal and became so pussy-whipped you couldn't even tell she lied right to your face. She blinded you._

"Shut up! Just shut up!" He smacks the palm of his hand against the wall and leans his forehead against it. "I love her. I do. I love her. She doesn't deserve this."

Grace steps up behind him and rubs his upper arm, trying to soothe him. "We know, Christian. We all love her. She'll be okay. Baby will, too. You'll see."

Christian turns toward his mom and she sees his gray eyes are blurry with tears, making her heart ache even more for him.

"Mom…" It comes out as a strangled whisper, the pain, worry, and regret shining so deep in it that it makes Grace choke on her own tears.

He grabs for her and hugs her tight, letting her sway them from side to side. "Oh, baby boy, I know, lovebug. I know." She smooths his hair with one hand while the opposite arm holds him tight around the waist. "I promise. Everything will be okay."

"How do you know?" His voice is broken and muffled into her neck.

"Because it just has to be."

A faint dinging, like the sound a car makes when the seatbelt isn't engaged comes overhead making them still. Christian pulls away from the hug and notices the call light button on the wall is going off.

Confused, his eyes land on Anastasia's form and sees her laying in bed with her fingers wrapped tight around her call button. Her eyes are open and she's staring back at him. When her crystal blue eyes meet his, it's a shock to his system and he actually startles.

"Anastasia!" His frozen body finally moves and he's beside her within a second. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" He reaches up to cup her face, but she hisses and pushes at his arm with her free hand.

"Like I've been hit by an 18-wheeler." Her voice is hoarse from lack of water and she tries to clear her throat, but it causes the muscles in her neck to jerk and she winces from the pain radiating up the back of her neck.

"You've got a fractured skull, concussion, and whiplash in your neck. They gave you pain medication when you got here cause you kept crying and whimpering in your sleep, but when you weren't waking, the doctor decided to ease you off of it in hopes that the pain would wake you."

Anastasia blinks up at him slowly, trying to comprehend what he's saying. "How...how long have I been asleep?" Out of the corner of her eye she can make out a window and there's no light coming from it, but she decides its not worth the neck pain to see how late it is.

"Awhile. It's almost midnight."

Again, she blinks slowly and her eyebrows raise in surprise. "Oh. Have you spoken with my parents? What about the baby?"

He gives her a small smile. "I've talked with your parents and they're okay. Worried sick over you. They're talking about trying to get to Seattle tomorrow to see you. They've been checking in every hour." His grin widens a little. "Now, I haven't talked to the baby, but we have gotten to hear the heartbeat and it's strong. They were wanting to wait until you were up to do an ultrasound."

"Ha ha, Grey." His joke is entertaining, but she doesn't bother to even smile. It's painful.

There's a knock on the door and the nurse, Jacob, sticks his head in before he slips the rest of himself in. "Ah, Anastasia, you're up. The doctor will be happy to hear that." He's tall and lean, maybe thirty years old, with dark brown hair, matching brown eyes, and a warm smile that shows off his perfectly straight, white teeth. "How ya' feelin'?" His soft accent comes out and she can tell he's from somewhere in the Midwest, maybe southern Illinois where the farmland is thick and the accents are soft.

"Like hell."

He gives a light chuckle and it causes Anastasia's lips to curl up into a shadow of a smile. He's got a warmness about him that makes her feel comfortable with him.

"Well, Anastasia, I figured as much. What can I get for ya'?" He reaches behind her head to turn the call light off and waits patiently for her answer.

"The baby. I wanted to make sure that everything is okay with our baby."

Jacob nods. "I'll go out right now and talk to the doctor about getting an ultrasound machine down here. While we wait, why don't I getchya' some water? You sound a little parched."

Anastasia swallows and it's dry. "Yes, that would be great, thank you."

"What about you, Christian? You doin' alright?" Jacob makes eye contact with him and gives him his soft southern grin to try to lift his spirits.

"I'm fine for now, Jacob. Thank you." A part of Christian is irked by the handsome bastard, but he appears harmless enough. Anastasia seems comfortable with him and he's found a good balance between professionalism and personableness, so Christian tries to extinguish that jealous little demon inside of him. _He's wearing a wedding ring, Grey. Cool it._

"Christian...listen…" Anastasia is feeling like hell run over, but she knows she can't leave this hanging between them. Her eyes wander to Grace and she wonders if this is a conversation they should be having with Grace so near. She knows that Christian is going to be very angry with her when the dust settles and she doesn't want Grace looking down on her, too, though she deserves it. The thought of being unwelcome in the Grey's home is devastating to her.

Before she can even get a sentence out, Christian puts a hand up. "Let's not talk now. We've more important things to focus on right now."

That's what she was worried would happen; Christian wanting to shrug it off for the time being. If they don't talk now, there's a good chance that Christian will go flying off the handle later. She wanted to swallow the bitter pill… at least a part of it… and talk through a few things. She knows this could possible change the way he sees her...change their relationship.

What if he ends up hating her? What if he uses this day in court to take her baby away from her? If he takes her to court, she knows there is no way she can afford the lawyers he can. He's got the best lawyers money can buy and he always gets what he wants. _She's ruined everything._

The doctor introduces herself as Dr. Page and looks Anastasia over once more since she's awake and orders some more pain medication through her IV while they wait for the ultrasound tech to arrive. When the doctor leaves, Grace slips out with her, allowing the two to have some time alone.

Anastasia opens her mouth to try to apologize, but Jacob pops in with her ice water and a straw. She takes it gratefully and sucks it down before he can even turn away to leave.

"I knew I should have brought a pitcher." He laughs lightly, filling her cup in the sink. "Try to go a little slower on this one, alright? We don't wantchya' to go overboard and make yourself sick."

She nods, understanding. This time she does her best to sip the water, but she finds herself sucking it dry within minutes. She knows she can't have anymore for a bit, so she frowns at the cup that she's set aside.

There's a knock on the door and a Native American woman with chocolate brown eyes and skin that seems to glow pops her head in.

"Ultrasound. May I come in?"

"Yes, come in." Christian is eager to see their baby on the screen.

"My name is Nadi and we're going to get a couple visuals of your baby. I'm going to get set up here and then I'll have you raise your gown and lower your blanket a little so we can get to your abdomen. I might have to lower the head of your bed a little, too, if that's alright."

"That's alright with me." Anything to see the baby. She shifts in bed, trying to get her blankets and gown situated, but it's making the heartbeat in her head pound even more.

Christian sees her wince and reach for her temple and it causes him to snap into action. "You relax and let me help you. We'll get you situated together."

Anastasia gives him a grateful smirk. "Yes, thank you. I can't seem to push past this headache."

This comment causes him to roll his eyes. "You won't be able to. It's hurting for a reason. Your body is sending up flares so you're aware. Your medication will kick in soon and you'll be feeling better. In the meantime, I hope you can enjoy seeing the baby." He fusses over her blankets and her gown, until her stomach is revealed.

His eyes immediately land on a purple bruise along the left side of her ribcage and his heart gives a hard punch in his chest. His teeth grind together. _Hyde could have killed their child. She put them both at risk._

"Christian?" Anastasia's eyebrows knit together when she sees his expression change. "What's wrong?" She wonders if realization has finally hit and he's beginning to feel hatred for her. Tears spring to her eyes, but she blinks them away, pushing her feelings to the side for the moment.

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "Nothing, love. Everything is fine. Everyone will be fine. Let's enjoy our baby."

The lights are dimmed and Nadi places the warm gel on Anastasia's stomach before placing the wand on her bump. Immediately, they can see the form of a baby.

"Oh, wow. It's gotten so big!" Anastasia is astonished. It's so easy to tell where everything is. She can even make out all the baby's little fingers and see the feet flexing.

Christian, who has taken a seat next to her bed, slips his hand into hers and brings the back of her hand to his lips. "Beautiful. Our baby is so beautiful."

Nadi smiles at his comment. "It looks like everything is just as it should be. I'm just looking at the spinal cord, which looks to be in perfect condition and I'll look at the baby's organs to make sure there isn't anything wrong with them and...oh."

Christian heart stops for a split second. "What? Oh, what?" His voice is urgent.

"I'm sorry, nothing bad. Your baby just opened right up for us and I can see everything. Do you guys know the gender, yet?"

Anastasia looks over at Christian with a large smile on her face. "No! But you can see… you can tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Yes. Look away for a moment while I do the baby's legs and such if you don't want to know."

Christian stands up and tries to look closer at the screen. "No, we want to know. Where is it? What is it?"

Nadi lets out a light laugh. "It's right here. Here are the baby's genitals." She points at the screen. "Do you see anything."

He narrows his eyes and tries to look hard. "No, I don't see anything. Nothing is there."

"Well, stuff is there, but no penis or testicles."

Anastasia gasps. "Then that means…"

"We're having a girl!" Christian punches the air. "We're having a baby girl-oh, shit." Suddenly, he's worried. _A girl._ He plops down in his chair.

"Christian?"

"A girl…fuck. I need to get a gun."

Realizing, Anastasia starts to giggle, but the look on Nadi's face shows that she doesn't understand.

"Little fuckers." He whispers under his breath.

"Christian, you can't curse boys that haven't even been born, yet!"

Nadi's body relaxes when she realizes why Christian reacted like this. "For a second, I thought you were angry about the baby being a girl."

Giving Nadi an apologetic smile, he shakes his head. "Not at all. I just want to keep her safe. Having a girl scares the shit out of me, because I know just how much of a possessive bastard I can be. What if she hates me for it?" He looks at Anastasia, a small pout forming on his lips.

Reaching up, Anastasia cups his stubbled cheek. "She'll love you. The second you see her, you'll be wrapped around her little finger and the second she feels your warmth, she'll be a Daddy's girl. You just watch."

XxXxXx

Anastasia has been in the hospital for twenty-four hours and the doctor has decided that she is stable enough to go home. Dr. Page goes over the discharge instructions- what to do at home, what symptoms to look for, how to follow up with the doctor- and tells Anastasia that she is free to go once she gets cleaned up.

The doctor doesn't want her showering just yet, just baths, for a week or so until her headaches and dizziness subside from the head trauma, so she does her best with a soapy rag while she sits on the hospital toilet. She gets dizzy when she stands by herself, but she feels so silly asking Christian for help when she'll be able to take a bath at home soon.

 _Home._

She frowns.

The thought of going home when she doesn't know who is out there makes her heart lurch. Hyde obviously has others that he works with. What if the drug riddled man that the police caught was able to get to a phone? What if there were others watching? Anyone could be sitting, waiting for her to come back to the apartment.

 _What if they're still in Georgia?_ What if Hyde really did have friends in Georgia and they were still there? What if they got their hands on her parents?

"Christian!" She stands the quickest she can, holding onto the metal side bar with one hand to keep herself upright while the other pulls up her clean panties. She's still in her hospital gown, but this can't wait. She needs to tell him now.

"What? What is it?" Christian enters quickly, worry etched across his handsome face. Her call had been frantic and sorrowful. "I'm here. What's going on?"

"My parents!"

"I just-"

She shakes her head quickly and then regrets it, grabbing her head and lowering herself back down to the toilet to keep the dizziness from becoming worse. "No, I need to see them. We need to go to Georgia."

"Ana…"

"Please." She looks up at him, her forehead creased with worry. It causes him to lean down and place a kiss to the crease, hoping soothing her will help smooth it. He hates seeing her so miserable.

"Now?"

"Yes, please. Please, Christian. I just need to make sure. I need my mom and dad."

The emotion in her voice makes his heart ache for her and tears spring to his eyes. "Yes, love. Of course. We'll go today. I'll call them right now and let them know we're coming and I'll get the plane ready." Her parents planned to fly out in the evening, but perhaps it'd be better to get away from Seattle for awhile. He hoped that her parents would keep Anastasia's mind off of what happened and that he'd be able to clear his head a little. He's been itching to go on a run by himself to let loose all of this negative energy and clear his thoughts, but he just couldn't leave her alone. Her parents would keep her safe and he could run until his lungs burst and his legs gave out.

 _He just needed to run._


End file.
